The Houston Rockets have proven they can at least compete with the league’s top teams after a stretch that saw them take on some of the best teams in either conference. Their performance on both offense and defense has elevated their potential and given them confidence to stand among some of the league’s other top teams.
The Rockets are now in the midst of a stretch that will see them face off against some of the league’s weaker teams, and they must take advantage of their opportunities against them.
The stretch starts off with consecutive games against the Utah Jazz, a sneakily competitive team due to its top-end talent, but still far away from playing true competitive basketball. Houston’s defense, led by Amen Thompson and their big man rotation of Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela, should be able to have a major impact on the offense of Jazz star Lauri Markkanen.
After the Utah back-to-back, the Rockets will face off against a Sacramento Kings team that hasn’t had much success to begin the season.
The Kings depend on a roster filled with vets that no longer provide as much impact as they once did, especially when combined together as a unit. Their offense isn’t efficient, and their defense can’t consistently find stops against NBA offenses.
The Rockets move on to what could be their toughest game of the stretch against the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker and Dillon Brooks have combined to become an impactful duo, and they’ve given some of the league’s best teams a run for their money.
There is still a talent gap between the Rockets and the Suns, but Phoenix has proven they can compete with even the best teams on any given night.
After facing Phoenix at home, the Rockets will take a trip down the road to take on the Dallas Mavericks as the team is still struggling to find its identity behind the play of talented wing Cooper Flagg. Houston has a much more established identity and talent gap that should play a big factor as it takes on an in-state rival.
The Rockets will return home to face a Los Angeles Clippers team that has more questions than answers during a slow start to the season. The talent outside of their top players is significantly lower than other NBA reserves, and it’s impacting their ability to win at a high level.
If the Rockets can take care of business against these teams, they could set up another important matchup against the Denver Nuggets at the end of this stretch.