Two Concerning Houston Rockets Stats After 14 Games

14 games into the 2025-26 NBA season, the Houston Rockets are off to an impressive 10-4 start. After losing their first two games, they've bounced back in a major way, winning 10 of their next 12. A recent 112-109 NBA Cup loss to the Denver Nuggets was disheartening, but Houston still sits as the fifth seed in a crowded Western Conference.

The Rockets have given fans plenty to rave about. They own the league's top offensive rating (122.5) while holding the No. 7 defensive rating (112.1). Houston is playing elite two-way basketball, on track to set the record for rebounding percentage (40.9% at the moment).

However, there are still some concerning stats that can be directly tied to things the Rockets may not be able to mitigate as the season progresses. There are two, in particular:

Assist Percentage

When Houston lost Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL before the season started, everyone was concerned about who would step up as the floor general in a star-studded offense. While Reed Sheppard, Josh Okogie and Aaron Holiday (to a certain extent) have stepped up in the guard slots, the Rockets still aren't distributing the ball at a good enough level.

Houston ranks dead last in assist percentage (57.1%), meaning most of its baskets are not coming from good ball movement, but rather guys like Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson working off the dribble. It's promising to see them create, but how long can the Rockets rely on pure shot makers?

That was evident in Houston's loss to the Nuggets on Friday. Durant and Sengun struggled, and while supplementary players impressed, the Rockets suffered a 12-point first quarter and ultimately lost to a title contender.

Turnovers

Another result of VanVleet's absence has been the turnovers. Without elite ball handling from a true point guard, teams are able to pressure the Rockets as soon as they cross half-court. It's happened on many occasions, disrupting sets and forcing the offense to run higher than usual.

Houston ranks 20th in turnovers (15.7) and 21st in turnover percentage (15.7%). They have done a great job taking care of the ball, and while having plenty of height in lineups helps, the Rockets still lack poise when facing pressure and elite defensive teams.

Nevertheless, Houston is still playing high-level basketball 14 games into the season. The Rockets are still title contenders with plenty of contests left in a long regular season.