The Houston Rockets have been at the bottom of the NBA standings for the last three years. Under coach Stephen Silas, the team has an overall record of 59-177, and finished in last place in the Western Conference in each of those seasons. But the roster and management underwent a bit of an overhaul in the offseason, and things could be turning around in Houston if they keep up their current pace.
Houston Rockets Have Been Dominant In November
Lakers got BLOWN OUT by the Rockets 👀 pic.twitter.com/hDjX3rWdSF
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 9, 2023
Silas was fired as the team’s head coach, and the Rockets brought in Ime Udoka to replace him. They went out and spent in free agency, too, adding veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, adding to their young core that was led in scoring by Jalen Green. There were mild expectations coming into the 2023-24 season, and it was thought to be a building and developmental year for the Rockets in the deep Western Conference.
The season started off the way that the previous ones had gone. Houston dropped the first three games on their schedule, losing to the Orlando Magic by 30 points on opening night before being defeated by the Spurs and Warriors.
But then, a switch was apparently flipped. Beginning with their game against the Hornets on November 1st, the Rockets have now won four games in a row. After defeating Charlotte, they picked up back-to-back wins against the Kings, before demolishing the Lakers in the first meeting between Brooks and LeBron James since last year’s playoff drama.
Defense Leading The Way For Houston
The Houston Rockets are 4-0 in their last 4 games
The culture is changing 🔥🚀 pic.twitter.com/Ll6ISJ93bf
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 9, 2023
The Rockets haven’t just been winning, they’ve been dominating their opponents. In the four wins, they have outscored their opponents by a combined 86 points, and have allowed fewer than 100 points in each of their last three. Their defense ranks in the top-10 in the league in essentially all of the major categories.
The early season schedule is certainly doing them some favors. Both the Kings and Lakers were Western Conference playoff teams last year, so they are beating formidable opponents. But after playing their first two games on the road, the Rockets are currently in the middle of a home stand that last 15+ days, which doesn’t include four days off before their third road game of the season on November 17th. That “road trip” will last three games against all California teams before coming back to Houston for two games.
It is of course a small sample size, and the Rockets have plenty of season left ahead of them. But the early returns are good for what could be one of the surprise teams in the West this season.
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