The Houston Rockets have officially announced themselves as a force to be reckoned with. The blockbuster acquisition of Kevin Durant made everybody start taking last season’s number two seed in the West a little more seriously.
With Alperen Sengun blossoming into an offensive hub, Amen Thompson’s athleticism redefining transition play, and a promising supporting cast that includes Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason, Houston looks like a team built to win now and later.
Add Ime Udoka’s no-nonsense culture and elite defensive structure, and the results back it up: a 17-9 record, a 3rd-ranked offense (121.0 PPG), and a 4th-ranked defense (112.2 OPPG). On paper, it all screams contender.
But the Rockets’ rise requires a closer look. Those who follow this team night after night understand that the resume doesn’t fully match the reality. Despite the numbers and the star power, Houston is not a legitimate championship contender, at least not yet.
Beneath the metrics are structural flaws that become glaring under playoff-type pressure. Leadership issues, late-game execution issues, youth-driven inconsistency, and stiff Western Conference competition expose a team still learning how to win at the highest level. Here are five reasons why the Rockets’ title buzz needs to settle down.
1. No True Leader On The Court
Kevin Durant’s basketball greatness is undeniable. He’s a top-15 player of all time by most standards and remains one of the most gifted scorers the game has ever seen, and he has almost singlehandedly improved the Rockets’ offense overnight. You can only count on one hand how many NBA players right now command double and triple-teams as Durant does on a nightly basis.
He is proving that the Rockets made the right move by acquiring him this offseason by posting an average of 25.3 PPG and 4.1 APG on 50.9% FG, 43.5% 3-PT FG, and 89.3% FT. But leadership has never been the strongest trait of his career.
Durant leads by example, not by force, and that distinction matters in May and June. He doesn’t consistently grab games by the throat, impose his will vocally, or elevate teammates when momentum starts changing. That was true in his prime, and it’s even clearer at 37.
Championship teams almost always have a dominant on-court presence who steadies the group when chaos hits. Durant can score in any situation, but he doesn’t have enough leaders around him to assist his greatness. With Fred VanVleet sidelined due to his ACL injury, that leadership void becomes even more obvious.
If Durant is the Rockets’ best source of direction under pressure, history suggests the ceiling is limited. It might be up to the Rockets organization to try to find a way to get KD the right star player to elevate him in that sense.
2. Floor General Is Absent
VanVleet’s absence doesn’t just hurt but also affects Houston’s identity. He was the team’s organizer, the voice in the huddle, and the player trusted to manage possessions late in games. Without him, the Rockets lack a true floor general, and the effects show up most clearly in crunch time.
Turnovers happen, shot selection becomes bad, and offensive flow stops when teams double and triple-team Durant. Sengun is brilliant as a playmaking big, but asking him to function as a point guard against elite defenses is unrealistic. Can you imagine Sengun bringing the ball up against the OKC Thunder or Denver Nuggets full-court?
Amen Thompson is still learning the ropes of half-court control, while Durant’s handling of the ball exposes his limitations as a decision-maker under pressure. The Rockets don’t just miss VanVleet’s skills; they miss his presence. All championship teams had a steady floor general, and the Rockets are not going to be able to get by with just talent.
3. The Core Is Still Too Young
Even with Durant in the fold, the Rockets’ championship timeline doesn’t align with the age of their core. This roster is packed with talent, but also with inexperience and flaws. Sengun still has moments of sloppiness when defenses load up.
Reed Sheppard has a tendency to overdribble and struggles defensively against physical guards. Amen Thompson’s inability to shoot consistently shrinks the floor in playoff settings. Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason remain wildly inconsistent offensively and are mistake-prone.
These are normal growing pains, but championship teams rarely feature this many question marks in their primary rotation. Learning alongside Durant will help them develop, but learning and winning titles are not the same thing. Houston is still in the former phase.
4. Udoka Is an Elite Defensive Coach But Unproven Offensively
Ime Udoka deserves massive credit for changing Houston’s culture. His defensive principles have turned the Rockets into one of the league’s most physical and disciplined units. He accomplished something similar in Boston, taking a talented but unfocused group to the NBA Finals in short order.
However, Udoka’s offensive resume under playoff pressure remains incomplete. That Celtics Finals run exposed glaring late-game offensive problems, where stagnation and poor decision-making ultimately cost them a championship. The Celtics truly beat themselves in the 2022 Finals. Some of that blame falls on the players, but coaching adjustments matter.
In Houston, those same concerns persist in crunch time. Until Udoka proves he can consistently lead high-level offense when possessions slow and margins thin, doubts will remain. We cannot spread the blame when it has to be, and Udoka gets his share.
5. The Western Conference Is Ruthless
Context matters, and in the West, Houston’s path is brutal. If the Rockets played in the Eastern Conference, they’d have a legitimate case as a top-two or top-three seed automatically. But the West is a different story.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on track to be one of the best-performing teams of all time. The Denver Nuggets have the best player in the world and championship DNA. Even beyond those two, the margin for error is slim.
The Spurs are rising fast, with Victor Wembanyama already the most impactful two-way player on the floor when healthy and De’Aaron Fox providing veteran leadership that Houston lacks. If we had to, we would place the Spurs as the third-best team in the West.
The Rockets are also locked in battles with teams like the Lakers, who are undefeated in clutch games this season with three proven superstars, and the Timberwolves, led by a prime Anthony Edwards. In the brutal West, Houston isn’t a title favorite by default, and they have to try to stay among the top four. That isn’t the most convincing situation to be in.
