2012 NBA Playoffs: What the Houston Rockets Must Do to Hang on to Playoff Spot

The Houston Rockets are currently 31-25, sixth place in the Western Conference and easily the biggest surprise team of the NBA this season.  

The Rockets are a unique team in that they don't have a legitimate superstar and are still an extremely dangerous team. Their tremendous depth is the key to their success.

In an NBA world where teams long for superstars to carry their teams, the Rockets sometimes play their bench more than their starters.

Now they have to work on keeping the sixth seed amidst the constant pressure from the other playoff hopefuls like the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz.

To remain in this spot the Rockets must do several things.

First, they need to find out who their go-to scorer is. When a crucial basket is needed, depth will not get them those points. The most likely candidates for this role are Kevin Martin, Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola. I see Martin as getting the majority of these shots.

Second, they need to take care of business against the remaining subpar teams on their schedule. The Rockets only have 10 games left and they play the New Orleans Hornets twice, Golden States Warriors once and Portland Trailblazers once. They need to win these games to give themselves a cushion in case they lose games against the Heat, Mavericks or Nuggets.

Finally, they need to believe they can get in the playoffs. The pressure will be strong from the above-mentioned teams and the Rockets need to have the mentality that it's their spot to give up.

As long as they play like they belong there, I see no reason why the Houston Rockets will not make the playoffs. Now advancing is a different story.