Rockets Given Promising Midseason Grade Despite Recent Struggles

With the NBA's regular season just about halfway through, we have a good idea of how good teams are and where they stand in the league's hierarchy. Unfortunately, after the Houston Rockets' relatively hot start, they have slipped and shown major flaws after 40 total games.

Houston was 13-4 before Dec. 1, ranking as one of the best teams in the NBA and a potential title contender. Since then, the Rockets have gone 12-11, dropping a handful of games against some of the lesser-regarded teams in the league. They have losses against the Sacramento Kings, Portland Trail Blazers and New Orleans Pelicans over the last seven weeks.

Still, there's plenty of games left to turn things around, and Houston could make a trade after recent reports of the organization being open to the right deal. But time is ticking, and in a crowded Western Conference, every game counts. The team is currently 25-15, good for fifth place, but just a half-game ahead of the Play-In Tournament.

ESPN's Kevin Pelton gave the Rockets a promising B+ for their midseason grade, despite their recent struggles. He explained how Fred VanVleet's absence has handicapped this team since he went down in September. They lack a true point guard, and it has been a noticeable issue at this point.

"Why a B-plus for the Rockets, who are on track to finish almost exactly at their preseason line? First, I thought that expectations were inflated for Houston in the wake of Fred VanVleet's September ACL tear, which left the Rockets without any proven point guard options," Pelton wrote.

"Second, the Rockets have been one of the league's unluckiest teams thus far. Houston's record (25-15) is fifth in the West by virtue of a 9-12 record in games that qualify by the NBA's definition of clutch time (within five points in the last five minutes of regulation). The Rockets are 24th in clutch defensive rating, which seems unlikely to persist given their talent at that end."

Despite Houston having a turnover issue (29th in giveaway percentage) and a lack of structure without VanVleet, the team is actually on the same pace as its preseason record projection. Listed 52.5 wins before opening night. The Rockets' total sits at 52.3 after 40 games, which is promising considering the expectations.

If general manager Rafael Stone decides to make another win-now trade, perhaps things will get even better for a team that holds high hopes amid the arrival of Kevin Durant. Houston needs to do everything it can to take advantage of the 37-year-old's final chapter, as he has brought a new dimension of offense to the table.

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