Where do the Houston Rockets stand with 2 months left in the NBA regular season?

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- In just two months, the NBA's postseason will begin, and the Houston Rockets are poised to push for a postseason berth after missing the playoffs for the past three seasons.

As of Feb. 24, the Rockets are currently below .500 and sit at the 12th seed in the NBA's deep Western Conference.

Makeup of Rockets' standout players

Let's take a look at the Rockets' roster.

Houston's leader in scoring and rebounds is their starting center, Alperen Sengun, who is averaging 21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, and five assists for the season.

In the midst of his third NBA season, the 21-year-old Turkish-born player was snubbed from the 2024 NBA All-Star game in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Not to mention, the West is loaded with elite talent across the conference, and unfortunately, there are only 12 spots available for each conference to fill. The All-Star reserves were chosen by the NBA's 30 head coaches. Coaches had to choose two guards, three frontcourt players, and two wildcards (guard or frontcourt).

Sengun's chances in entering the frontcourt reserve sweepstakes were up in the air due to the high competition, accumulation of team success, and Houston's rank in the West.

Despite Sengun being left out the Western Conference reserves, he shifts his focus to help enable Rockets' chances to enter the play-in tournament for a postseason spot.

Shifting gears, Houston's biggest free agent signing in the 2023 offseason was Fred VanVleet, who signed a three-year, $130 million contract with the Rockets. VanVleet, a former NBA champion and eight-year NBA veteran, is averaging 16.4 points, 8.1 assists, and shooting 37.5% from behind the arc this season. The Rockets' addition of VanVleet was to provide a veteran presence with championship pedigree for Houston's young team.

Moreover, two Rockets standouts from its young core include Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. Both players have been putting up inconsistent numbers for the season, but look to finish strong as the regular season comes to a close in mid-April.

Defensive-minded Rockets wing Dillon Brooks is shooting just under 40% from three-point range for the season, and continues to be a veteran voice with VanVleet and forward Jeff Green, who is in his 17th NBA season playing for his 11th NBA team.

Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore have been productive by scoring, playmaking, and providing athleticism for Houston's second unit.

Mindset of Rockets heading into second half of the NBA season

Overall, Houston's goal is to keep on improving and developing the chemistry of its players. The team led by head coach Ime Udoka will need to make the necessary adjustments to climb up the Western Conference standings.

In spite of this, the Rockets are still in their rebuilding phase, but are in a better position in comparison to their past three seasons, but the season isn't over yet with 26 games left in the regular season.

The Rockets are also poised to make noise in the Western Conference with the influx of both young and veteran talent by aiming to enter the sweepstakes at a potential play-in spot, landing between the seventh and 10th seed.

Whether it's a play-in entry or playoff berth by the end of the Rockets' season, Houston will have to capitalize on every game remaining between now and mid-April.