As we near the halfway point of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and get closer to the Feb. 6 trade deadline, it’s safe to say the Houston Rockets are a legitimate playoff team. At 25-12, Houston owns the second-best record in the Western Conference, and the third-best record in the league.

Led by a young core of five Houston-drafted players, along with two key veterans in Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets have gotten off to this start due to their suffocating defense and improved offense. Houston ranks 11th in offensive rating (113.2), third in defensive rating (107.0), and fifth in net rating (6.2).

The Rockets were most recently highlighted as one of the best teams in the league in Bleacher Report’s latest NBA power rankings, written by Andy Bailey. Houston ranks fifth in the NBA, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks.

Bailey’s description of Houston was not highlighted with any general statistics or narratives for the season. Instead, he used the Rockets’ most recent 119-115 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, who rank one spot under them, as a means to say that this team is legit.

“Heading into Thursday’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, the Houston Rockets had gone 3-3 in their last six,” Bailey wrote. “And it was starting to feel like they might finally be coming back to earth a bit.”

“But the Rockets beat the Grizzlies, in spite of Dillon Brooks going 2-of-15 from the field. And their young, recently extended stars were the reason. Alperen Sengun had 32 points, 14 rebounds and five assists, while Jalen Green went for 27 points and hit four threes.”

Houston is 5-2 when Green and Sengun both hit 20 points or more. If it’s any indication, the Rockets need those two to match each other offensively in order for them to see success. It’s easy to beat inferior opponents, but that will be the key to dethroning the top teams in the league.

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