The Houston Rockets are gunning for the NBA championship next season. While it won’t be easy, considering the Oklahoma City Thunder are the team to beat and the likes of the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers have massively improved, they are certainly in the mix.
The first move of the offseason was acquiring future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant, who, even at 37 years old, is one of the best scorers in the NBA. Replacing him with Jalen Green last season would have easily resulted in a first-round victory over the aging Warriors squad. Adding Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela, and Josh Okogie were win-now moves, especially when the core of Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr. return with renewed confidence.
Despite losing Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and Cam Whitmore, the Rockets replaced them with the perfect type of players that coach Ime Udoka truly wants. Team-first, defensive-minded, and hungry to win.
Let’s analyze Houston’s depth chart for next season and examine how their starting lineup, bench, strengths, and weaknesses look.
Starting Lineup
Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
The starting lineup is stacked with talent. Fred VanVleet headlines at point guard (14.1 PPG, 5.6 APG last season), and he brings championship experience, shooting, and hard-nosed defense. Joining him in the backcourt is Amen Thompson (14.1 PPG, 8.2 RPG), an elite two-way athlete who must show improvement in his offensive game in order for the Rockets not to miss Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in terms of perimeter spacing.
Kevin Durant (26.6 PPG on 43.0% 3-PT FG) is the go-to offensive player, and he must stay focused on delivering throughout the regular season and especially in the playoffs. He is the marquee signing, and he must deliver when it counts because the Rockets were forced to give up 23-year-old Jalen Green for him.
In the frontcourt, Jabari Smith Jr. (12.2 PPG, 7.0 RPG) and Alperen Sengun (19.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 4.9 APG) bring offensive talent, size, and athleticism in their own ways. This frontcourt pairs nearly 14 feet of height and much more of length, and we anticipate that opposing teams will struggle to finish around the rim consistently.
Bench
Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday, Dorian Finney-Smith, Tari Eason, Josh Okogie, Steven Adams, Clint Capela
There will be very much expected from Reed Sheppard. Sheppard was the major acquisition from last season’s draft class, getting him No. 3 overall, and despite an underwhelming rookie campaign (4.4 PPG), he must show improvement in 2025-26, which he has already done during the Summer League.
He is one of the few natural shooters on the team and must challenge VanVleet on both ends of the court. If Sheppard can at least get close to a 10 PPG average, the Rockets will be in a very good position to stretch defenses next season. Aaron Holiday is a perfect backup guard (5.5 PPG) who can defend the perimeter and also hit threes, so he will be trusted more than last year as well.
Dorian Finney-Smith (41.1% 3-PT FG) and Tari Eason (12.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG) are two “Ime Udoka”-type players who can run the floor, defend the perimeter, and even challenge at the rim. Eason, in particular, could be slotted into the starting lineup, but if he comes off the bench, he will wreak havoc defensively and on the fast break.
Okogie was the newest free agent signing, and while he is another player on the team who isn’t a great shooter, his defense, hustle, and athleticism will make Houston’s defense even better.
At center, the Rockets are spoiled for choices. Steven Adams (3.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG) and Clint Capela (8.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG) are excellent rebounders, rim-protectors, and bring raw size to the frontcourt. Even if the Rockets end up pulling the trigger in a Sengun trade for another superstar player (think Giannis Antetokounmpo), they have two centers who can start in his place.
Roster Strengths
The strengths of this roster are evident. They will easily be a top-10 defensive team, won’t struggle on the boards, and will be a nightmare to score against come playoff time. Ime Udoka managed to make this team the second seed in the West last season, so there is no reason to believe they can’t reach that spot again.
The Rockets might have the most stacked frontcourt in the NBA as well, with plenty of forwards and bigs who bring raw size and physical impact. Even marquee signing Kevin Durant brings elite length, even if he isn’t the same defender he used to be.
The Rockets are also hungry. They will feel frustrated by their first-round exit last season, even if they were the better team than the Warriors for most of the season. Moving on from Jalen Green had to be the move for Houston, and with that accomplished, there aren’t any more excuses for the team.
Key Weaknesses And Concerns
While Houston has a ton of strengths, mainly to do with defense, athleticism, and talent, there are some glaring weaknesses. The main one has to be consistent shooting.
Sure, Kevin Durant is a top-10 shooter and top-5 scoring talent of all time, but he’s 37. He also can’t make up for an entire team’s deficiency. Jabari Smith Jr is the other recognized shooter on the team, but he might be slightly limited since he is a forward who won’t be required to create as much.
Fred VanVleet can get hot, but he can also get very cold. Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Josh Okogie, and Alperen Sengun are not natural shooters. That means there will be a ton of pressure on Reed Sheppard, a youngster who didn’t get much playing time next year. Other than Durant and Smith Jr, he is the only natural shooter on the team.
In games where Durant is out with injury, which is bound to happen at his age, the Rockets will need to find a way to generate scoring chances. Relying on the post can’t work against certain teams, especially against zone defenses.
The other major issue has to be where Kevin Durant’s head is at. There is pressure on him, especially since the past few seasons haven’t done his legacy well. Durant seems to be content simply playing basketball and enjoying his off-court activities, but the Rockets need him to lock in. They won’t win an NBA title unless Durant is only focused on basketball, and based on what we have seen, we aren’t sure that is the case.
Houston Rockets Can Win An NBA Championship… As Long As Durant Is Focused And The Young Stars Reach A New Level
Overall, the Houston Rockets are championship-ready. They have all the pieces to contend, and finally, a closer. For the first time since James Harden, Houston has a top-10 talent in the world, and they are banking on Kevin Durant to perform.
However, even if Durant performs like he normally does, there will need to be growth from the youngsters. They can’t use the excuse of being immature anymore; they have to be ready like the Oklahoma City Thunder were ready. They experienced growing pains last season, but history tells us there needs to be more suffering. Even the Boston Celtics failed time and time again before breaking through in 2024.
If Amen Thompson becomes an All-Star-caliber player, Kevin Durant stays healthy, and the likes of Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr, and Tari Eason up their games to the next level, the Rockets can win an NBA championship.
Therefore, assuming the concerns are addressed, we see Houston being a top-4 seed in the West and a potential lock to be a Western Conference Finals team, rather than a squad that needs that one other superstar player. We have to wait and see what the Rockets end up doing and what their game plan looks like, but one thing is for sure: they are legitimate title contenders.
