The Houston Rockets are taking off in the NBA, and if you haven’t been following the league closely, you might be surprised to learn just how good they are. Currently sitting at an impressive 32-14 record, they’ve claimed the second spot in the Western Conference—only five and a half games behind the talented young Oklahoma City Thunder squad. I understand it’s early in the season, but it’s not just about whether the Rockets are a good team. The real question is, what makes the Rockets a good team?
To be considered a good team, three essential components are necessary: first, a winning record with quality wins; second, the roster, including star players, complimentary role players, and veteran leadership; and last, a strong defense.
The Rockets have 32 wins this season, which include notable victories against several strong teams. They beat the team with the best record, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and they beat the team with the second-best record twice, the Cleveland Cavaliers. So far, the Houston Rockets are the only team to accomplish that feat. They also beat the defending champs, the Boston Celtics, and the previous champs, the Denver Nuggets. They beat the Memphis Grizzlies, currently ranked third in the Western Conference, twice. They also defeated the New York Knicks, who sit third in the Eastern Conference. They beat the Milwaukee Bucks, currently fourth in the East. They won twice against the Los Angeles Clippers, who are sixth in the West, and once against the Los Angeles Lakers, who hold the fifth position in the West. They’re also the fourth-best road team in the NBA, with a 17-7 record away from the Toyota Center. So, the criteria for the first component of being a good team have been met thus far.
Now, let’s discuss the roster. Technically, Fred VanVleet is the only NBA All-Star on the Houston Rockets. He earned this distinction once in 2022 while playing for the Toronto Raptors. However, he hasn’t been selected as an All-Star with the Rockets. Although the team does not have any All-Star players at the moment, they do have players who are considered All-Star caliber –Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün– and recently, they have been performing at a high level.
Since the start of 2025, Green, who Houston picked second overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, has emerged as the team’s best player. In the new calendar year, Green is averaging 25.7 points, and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 47.7% from the field, and 41.2% from three in the 14 games they played. His numbers are impressive because he has led his team to a 4-1 record.
Paired up with Green is Şengün, probably the Rockets’ most consistent player. This season, the 7-foot Turkish big man is averaging 19.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, and since the Rockets have a winning record, the 22-year-old center has been getting All-Star consideration. According to ESPN senior writer Kevin Pelton, if the Rockets do have a player to represent Houston during the All-Star game, most likely it’ll be Şengün.
“The Rockets have played well enough that coaches might feel obligated to pick a Houston player as an All-Star reserve,” Pelton writes. “As the team’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer and distributor, Sengun is the most logical candidate for what would be his All-Star debut.”
According to the voting update released by the NBA Şengün ranks No. 6 among frontcourt players in the Western Conference.
In addition to the two All-Star caliber players, the Rockets have surrounded them with a ton of young talent. They have the uber-athletic Amen Thompson, who has made a major leap in his second season. Thompson is an electrifying leaper with blazing speed. He’s a great rebounder and sound defender. This season, Thompson emerged as one of the best young talents in the NBA. Currently, he is averaging 13.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals per game, and 1.1 blocks. But since he’s taking a starting role in the place of the injured Jabari Smith Jr., he’s been averaging 17.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 16 games as a starter this season. He recently played some of his games. In the game against the Cavaliers, he put up a triple-double by scoring 23 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists. Then he followed that game up with his best scoring output in his young career against the defending champs. Against the Celtics, Thompson scored 33 points, including the game-winning shot that propelled the Rockets to a victory. Thompson has been playing so well, that NBA analysts are calling him the future.
“Amen Thompson, this brother, hear me and hear me good: This is a future star in this league,” said well-respected NBA media personality Stephen A. Smith via ESPN’s First Take. “He plays bigger than what he is. He’s a tenacious defender. Definitely a damn good rebounder. He’s got size. A nice step-back move. That was on Jaylen Brown, that’s who he did that to. He didn’t do that to just anybody. He’s got nice size on him, tremendous athleticism. Plays with a lot of energy, is fierce. Got a lot of heart.”
Accompanying Thompson is Tari Eason, also known as the “Terror Twins.” Eason is averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Currently, the 6′ 8″ forward is injured, but when he is in the lineup, he is a nuisance on offense and defense.
Additionally, Smith Jr., who is a 6’10” sharpshooter, is also injured. The Rockets also have Dillion Brooks, the perfect 3-and-D player along with Vanfleet, the championship point guard who provides veteran leadership, Jeff Green, another veteran with championship experience, and Steven Adams. They also have amazing young talent in Cam Witmore, an instant bucket, and Reed Shepard, a sharp shooting point guard who scored 49 points in his G-League debut.
The Rockets’ roster is nothing short of impressive. With All-Star caliber talent, strong role players, and experienced veterans. They check all of the boxes of a good team and they play together. After the Boston game, where Brooks scored 36 points, including a career-high 10 three-pointers, said that team is playing together and they trust one another.
Now, let’s take a closer look at the one area that can elevate them even further: their defense.
When you have dynamic defenders like Brooks, Thompson, and Şengün on your squad, you might assume that scoring against them would be a difficult task—and you’d be right. The Houston Rockets are proving to be one of the best defensive teams in the league, currently sitting fourth in the NBA for defensive net rating, according to NBA.com. They’re allowing just 108.2 points per game.
What’s even more remarkable is the impact Şengün has when he’s on the court. Opponents average a mere 103.2 points per 100 possessions with him patrolling the paint, a statistic that would place him second if evaluated as a standalone team. The Rockets are also showing off their prowess by ranking fifth in opponent shooting percentage, holding rival teams to a cool 45.1 percent shooting from the field.
But that’s not all—Houston is also stepping up the pressure, ranking seventh in forced turnovers per game with an impressive average of 15.2. and forth in points off turnovers with 15.4. Additionally, they’re standing at 8th in steals and 15th in blocks per game. It’s clear that this team is one of the best defensive teams in the league.
At 32-14, are the Rockets as good as their record suggests? Right now, I would say yes. Although they no longer have star players like James Harden and Chris Paul, they meet all the criteria of a legitimate good team. They have a winning record and some quality victories. Their roster includes All-Star caliber players, impactful role players, and strong veteran leadership. They play cohesively and play tenacious defense.
While it’s still early in the season, I don’t believe that the Rockets’ strong start is a fluke. Last year, they won 11 consecutive games at the end of the season and narrowly missed the playoffs. This year, they are building on that momentum, and if they maintain this level of performance, they will surely make the playoffs. Will they succeed? We will have to wait and see.
