Rockets Labeled 'Legit Title Contender' Amid Hot Start

The Houston Rockets' 117-113 win over the Orlando Magic last night should tell NBA fans most of what they need to know about this team. The Rockets were down for a good chunk of the game, but found a way to force overtime and turn it up on the offensive end to pull out a victory.

They're resilient and have found a way to produce on both ends of the floor with the top offensive rating in the league and the eighth-best defensive rating. Kevin Durant has helped take this team higher, but Houston is still great at keeping opponents from scoring.

The Rockets have started another winning streak (four games) and currently sit at third in the Western Conference with a 9-3 record. The Oklahoma City Thunder are still above the rest of the NBA, but are Houston, the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers and a few Eastern Conference teams truly far behind?

ESPN's Kevin Pelton and Zach Kram recently placed the league's teams into seven tiers, and the Rockets ranked early in the second level, labeled as title contenders. While the Thunder were the only team in Tier 1, Houston, Denver, the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks were featured in Tier 2.

"The Rockets are the closest thing to a surprise, having shrugged off the loss of Fred VanVleet with the NBA's third-best point differential thus far," Pelton wrote. "Houston's offense probably won't keep it up, but 2024 lottery pick Reed Sheppard is quietly helping fill the void left by VanVleet's injury, and the Rockets will add to their depth when Dorian Finney-Smith returns from offseason surgery."

Houston currently has six players averaging double figures early in the season. Durant and Alperen Sengun are the clear leaders of the offense, combining for 48.9 points, 15.0 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game.

However, supplementary talents such as Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason are developing at a solid rate. They appear to be ready for big moments down the road. Houston doesn't just have great stars; it has a great rotation. We're also watching the Rockets produce at a high level without VanVleet and Dorian Finney-Smith, two valuable veterans.

If Houston continues to be an elite two-way team, there's a legitimate reason to believe it can keep up with Oklahoma City. Durant isn't being asked to bear so much of the offensive load despite being one of the greatest scorers of all time, as Ime Udoka has surrounded him with a young and exciting core.