How far can the Houston Rockets go with their small-ball system?

The Houston Rockets might be in a bit of a slump, but their small-ball system will create problems when the playoffs begin.

Teams have had their way against the Houston Rockets lately, as they try to figure out how to take advantage of their small-ball system.

In their recent loss to the Orlando Magic, the Rockets had another uninspiring performance on both ends of the ball. Orlando got off to a hot start and beat the Rockets, 126-106. For the Rockets, this marks their fourth straight loss and forces them to make necessary adjustments with only five weeks remaining in the regular season, which leads to many questioning how far they can go.

In their four-game losing streak, the Rockets have been out-rebounded 201-165. Rebounding is one of the most important factors to take into account because it can limit the opposing teams’ second-chance points and force them into a one and done situation. The Rockets gave up 22 second-chance points to the Magic, which is inexcusable. Their size has proved to be a reason for their losses and has to be corrected.

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Before the four-game losing streak, the Rockets were on a six-game winning streak and seemed as if they couldn’t be beaten. The Rockets’ analytical system demonstrated to work in that stretch because they were hitting shots and playing great defense.

But in their losing streak, Houston is shooting 42 percent from the field, 29 percent from 3-point range and have a -11.5 PPG differential. Mike D’Antoni stated that they will continue to play their style of basketball even after this collapse.

"“We’re going to play the game we play,” D’Antoni said. “This is just one blip on the road.”"

The Rockets don’t appear to be worried about their recent losses. They just have to go out and show that they can compete night in and night out.

"“We’re really not worried, just frustrated,” Harden said. “You got to keep pushing through, keep fighting through it. The time will turn around. We’ll make it turn around.”"

The Houston Rockets are sitting as the sixth seed currently in the West and have to get things turned around quickly. I believe that they can be very good at this type of system and go far with it because of their ability to have multiple shooters on the floor. If they can hit their shots and become dominant on the boards, the Rockets will be in good shape to regain their strength and move up in the standings.

The Rockets are championship contenders. It’s almost certain they’ll get back on the right track and show teams that they can pose a threat to anyone in the league.