Author: Grayson Obey

Cover Image By: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

As a nearly newly minted Houstonian, I’ve had the pleasure of watch the Houston Rockets take the leap forward from the rebuild and retool stage of past seasons, into a staggering 6 game win streak up and apparent jump into the thick of Western Conference playoff contention up close and personal. 

11/1 – Rockets vs Hornets

This new Rockets team is totally reshaped from top to bottom, and is refit with new uniforms, new courts and swagger as they look to race from the bottom of the standings upwards. 

11/8 – Rockets unveil City Court vs LA Lakers

In this article, I’ll break down what I’m seeing around the team that’s led to this success on both sides of the court, who has shined the brightest, and more.

The Rockets have slowed the pace, and that’s a good thing

The addition of Fred VanVleet over the offseason wasn’t just about bringing in a former all-star, and high level scoring. VanVleet is a seasoned veteran, with an NBA championship under his belt, and is known around the league for his poise and leadership. For a Rockets team that often-times looked frantic and out of control last season, this team has looked steady and poised. They’re currently 29th in the league in terms of pace of play, and part of this new offensive confidence has been thanks to VanVleet commanding the point. Slow and controlled is good, and as the season intensifies, the game becomes slower, focused more on half-court offense, particularly in the playoffs. Look at last years NBA Final matchup, where Miami finished 29th in pace, and last years champions, Denver, finished 23rd, as testaments to this.

The Young Core is taking another leap

Like Denver, the Rockets have looked to play-make off their center. Alperen Sengun has seen an increased usage as an offensive hub, playing off his greatest strengths and slowing the game down more as well. Sengun has proven to be an elite level passer, and a master of the highlight reel no-look pass. The 3rd year big has upped his assists to 6 per game after averaging 3.4 over his career, while keeping the turnovers down, currently with 2.1 per game compared to the 2.3 over his first 2 seasons. Teams genuinely fear his ability to create for others, and it’s opened up the floor for him as well. Sengun has also seen his points per game increase to over 19 this season, on increased efficiency.

Alperen Sengun hasn’t been the only 3rd year player for the Rockets to have a strong start to the season. Former 2nd overall pick Jalen Green has also been a big part of the Rockets success, and has looked more comfortable in his role alongside more seasoned veterans. No longer the sole focal point of producing offense in a hurry, Jalen is still producing big numbers so far (19 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1 stock per game), but hasn’t had to do so purely with the ball in his hands. Jalen is a human highlight reel in his own, taking the ‘dunkstronaut’ theme from this year’s City Edition jerseys and uniform very literally.

Photo via the Houston Rockets

Finally, they have a true Defensive Identity

In the best possible way, Dillon Brooks has been a menace. His attitude, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, has truly been contagious, and the Rockets no longer look like a team that once appeared disinterested in that side of the ball. Dillon knows how to toy the line of never letting his opponents see open opportunities, and not being afraid to match their physicality and intensity. He never takes plays off, and that mindset has shown with the young players, with Jalen Green placing more focus on his defense this season, and with Sengun, who know longer feels the pressure of being tasked as a defensive anchor while his game and feel still develops. 

With Brooks off the floor, Jae’Sean Tate has embraced his role of being a defensive anchor in the second unit as well. The longest tenured Rocket has prided himself in guarding the opposing teams best players and making their lives difficult. He’s averaged 1.6 steals in just 20 minutes per game, currently ranked 17th in the league (only Robert Covington and Delon Wright have more steals in less minutes). Through the beginning of the season, the Rockets are the 4th best defense in terms of defensive rating.

Where do they go from here?

When Rocket’s owner Rafael Stone brought in new head coach Ime Udoke and then proceeded to spend big money this offseason on free agents, it was clear their was an expectation that Houston would produce winning basketball this season. Their two biggest signees, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, have absolutely shined through the early part of the season. They’ve also only seen limited play from their two first round draft picks, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore. Amen suffered an ankle sprain last week against Charlotte, and is expected to miss at least a month of play. Cam Whitmore has seen play in just 3 games, with limited minutes. He’ll spend time in Rio Grande this season as he fights to earn minutes in a crowded wing rotation. They also just returned from injury Tari Eason, who will add another level of effort and intensity on both sides of the court and around the rim. 

Houston starts a 3 game road stretch to end this week, dropping this Friday’s game to former Rocket legend and newest LA Clipper, James Harden in their second In-Season Tournament game of the season. They also face a tough away back-to-back against the West’s top seeded Mavericks and Nuggets to end November. After spending two weeks at home with no back-to-backs thus far, how the team handles the next weeks will be a true test of this teams backbone and essence. If they come out of November strong, this Rockets team may very well have the makings of a playoff team. At the very least, barring injuries, the floor seems to be in the play-in tournament based on their early stretch of ball, with wins against some of the top Western conference teams on the season already. For a city that hasn’t seen playoff basketball since 2020, optimism is surging for this team. The Houston Rockets may finally have begun liftoff.