The Rockets' True Competition Is In The West

The Houston Rockets have taken care of business against some of the Eastern Conference's top teams. They've found ways to win through difficult circumstances, and beaten some high-quality teams functioning at a high level.

However, their performance against their fellow Western Conference contenders will be the true measure of their performance as the league's top contenders may reside in the West.

Houston has gotten off to a rough start against the West's top teams.

The Rockets dropped a tightly contested matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the regular season opener, and they dropped an NBA Cup game against the San Antonio Spurs after one of their most lackluster offensive performances.

Now, the Rockets are prepared for a matchup against the Denver Nuggets, who may just have the second-best team in the league behind the Thunder.

Nikola Jokic has continued his play as one of the best players in the league, jostling with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the leading MVP candidates for the season.

The Rockets performed well against the Thunder, and had a lead with an opportunity to win the game on the defensive end.

Houston has kept games close against every team they've played against, even their three losses have come down to the final minutes of the fourth quarter.

However, close defeats won't matter when the postseason comes around, and the Rockets know that finding a way to win against the league's best teams is a crucial measure of a team capable of reaching the Conference Finals and playing for an NBA Championship.

Their top competition for that level are the Nuggets and the Thunder, but the West has several teams that could compete at a high level and create problems for the West's top teams.

The aforementioned Spurs are trying to navigate the standings while Victor Wembanyama recovers from an injury. He is a major factor behind their success, and their record might not reflect their talent while he is out.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves are teams with dynamic players leading the team, along with a complementary cast that can take over games as well. The Timberwolves, especially, have plenty of postseason experience after making two-straight Western Conference Finals appearances.

The collection of star talent in the Western Conference is also a cause for concern, many of the league's MVP caliber players reside in the West, and they could go off to win a game against anyone.

The Rockets will have to navigate each of these top players and teams to prove they can beat them regardless of the situation. Their campaign must continue against the Nuggets during the NBA Cup.