When Nikola Jokic injured his left knee against the Miami Heat, many focused on what the Denver Nuggets lost. Yet from this unfortunate injury, other NBA teams, especially those in the Western Conference, also gained something: an opportunity to rise in the rankings.
And ESPN’s Tim MacMahon believes the Houston Rockets should waste no time in grabbing it.
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With Jokic out for almost all of January, the Nuggets are now down four starters. They also recently lost their backup center, Jonas Valanciunas, who went down with a calf injury.
The Rockets are now tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the fourth-best record at 21-11. Meanwhile, the Nuggets remain a spot above them with a 23-11 slate. If the Rockets play their cards right, MacMahon is confident that they can claim Denver’s spot and pose a serious threat to the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Unfortunately, the Nuggets are probably going to sink over the next month while Joker is out,” he said on the “Howdy Partners” podcast. “It’s a chance for the Rockets to get up in the mix.”
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Rockets are in good shape
With their star-studded lineup, the Rockets were able to live up to the billing, securing a comfortable spot in the top five of the conference throughout the season.
At 37 years old, Kevin Durant is leading the team in scoring with 25.4 points on 52.2 percent shooting. Meanwhile, Houston’s young star, Alperen Sengun, is doing everything on the floor, averaging 22.6 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
Their younger role players, Jabari Smith and Amen Thompson, also contribute solid numbers as part of the starting unit, while Reed Sheppard leads the bench with 13.3 points per game.
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Houston has the third-best offensive rating and sixth-best defensive rating in the league. It’s also the top-rebounding team with 48.8 boards per game.
According to McMahon, the team has the second-most 20-point victories, behind only the Thunder. Per StatMuse, the former has nine, while the latter has 13. For MacMahon, the success of other teams, like the Nuggets and the San Antonio Spurs, overshadowed the Rockets’ quiet consistency.
“They’re in pretty good shape,” the analyst explained. “The Spurs have earned more of the spotlight. Joker was having the best year of his career before he went down…But they’re still right there as one of the primary challengers to OKC.”
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What Houston needs to fix
MacMahon pointed out two key problems Houston needs to solve to capitalize on Denver’s situation: closing out in the clutch and minimizing their turnovers.
The Rockets tend to falter in close situations. According to NBA stats, the team is 22nd in the league in clutch win percentage at 40 percent (6-9 win-loss record). They are also 1-4 in games that go into extra periods.
It is interesting how Houston still has this problem despite having one of the best closers of all time in the Slim Reaper. Head coach Ime Udoka needs to figure out how to use Durant properly in these situations.
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MacMahon also said this is where they missed the veteran ball handling and playmaking of point guard Fred VanVleet, who is recovering from an ACL injury. They need a traditional point guard who can set the play within half-court. Sengun’s facilitation is not enough.
Houston’s lack of a floor general has led to its second biggest problem: ball security. They are averaging the third-most turnovers in the league with 16.2 per game. MacMahon said this weakens their ability to stay true to their defensive identity.
Houston needs to address these issues to maximize the benefits of Denver’s advantageous position. If they do, once Jokic and the Nuggets become complete again, they will be facing a different and more fearsome Rockets squad that can rival OKC and San Antonio.
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Related: Nikola Jokic’s injury update could shape the rest of the 2025/26 season
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.