Rockets' Defense Finally Catching Up to Elite Offense

The NBA's 82-game season has led many to believe that one or two losses don't mean anything. The casual fan isn't watching every match, so why would anyone care about the Houston Rockets losing their first two games of the season?

The answer is to take a look at last season's Western Conference standings. While the Eastern Conference was as polarizing as it has ever been, the West saw the No. 2 seed and the No. 8 seed be separated by just four games. Three teams in that conference were tied with 50 wins. So yes, every game matters, at least to that half of the league.

So when the Rockets got off to a 0-2 start, there wasn't panic, just a little bit of concern. The defense didn't look as elite as it did last season, as that metric carried them to the playoffs.

This season, the offense has been the biggest strength. That has been emphasized in Houston's recent four-game winning streak as the team now sits at 4-2. The jump in scoring was expected after the Rockets acquired Kevin Durant over the summer, but no one expected them to have the best offense in the league at this point.

Houston ranks first in offense rating (123.2), first in offensive rebounding percentage (41.2%), fourth in true shooting percentage (61.6%) and first in three-point percentage (42.5%).

The Rockets are averaging 124.8 points per game, not just because their scoring at a high rate, but also because they know when to take the right shots and set themselves up for more points per possession with second-chance opportunities.

Even as Houston started its winning streak, the defense still ranked in the bottom half of the NBA through the first week or so. The team was only winning because of its high scoring rate, and the point differential through its first four games was 41 despite owning the league's top offense.

But now, the defense is finally starting to catch up. Over the Rockets' last two games, they're 2-0, allowing just 101 and 102 points to the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks. For the season, their defensive rating has climbed to seventh in the league (111.2). For reference, they finished fifth in such category last season.

Not only has the aggressiveness been improving, but also the consistency. Houston ranks in the top 10 in defensive efficiency, points given up in the first half, as well as the second half. The team is also stopping opponents on the fast break despite having a low pace. The Rockets are top 10 in opponent fastbreak points per game (13.3).

The offense is so good that it might not sustain for the rest of the season. Houston is shooting too good that the team is bound to slow down at some point. How much they slow down, we don't know. But with the defense getting back to its usual self, there isn't much need to worry when it does.