West Race Already Looks Difficult For The Rockets

The pathway to contention is clear for the Houston Rockets, at least as it pertains to the assets they have inside the building. Their goal is to lean on an apparent leap by Alperen Sengun, depend on Kevin Durant for critical in-game moments, and to batter teams with the level of defense they have become known for in recent years.

However, the pathway to contention outside the building looks more harrowing than ever as several teams and players look to have big seasons of their own.

Close to home, the San Antonio Spurs may have released the nuclear codes by allowing Victor Wembanyama to play as he pleases. He started the season with a 40-point showcase of every skill that made him one of the best prospects ever. The Spurs have built a quality defensive team around Wembanyama, held down in the paint by a young player who has the potential to become the best paint defensive presence ever.

Another former No. 1 pick, Anthony Edwards, began his campaign for the clutch player of the year trophy, scoring several spectacular buckets at the end of a tight game against a scrappy opponent.

The Minnesota Timberwolves enter the season after back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances, and Edwards seems to have taken another leap with his level of focus and diversified offensive output.

The reigning champions and the reigning MVP seem to be ready for a repeat of both feats as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder showed a high level of grit and performance against the Rockets in game one.

The Thunder gave a showcase of their established identity: aggressive defense, elite shooting, and quality play in the clutch.

These factors helped the Thunder have a historic regular season last year, and they'll help Oklahoma City try to find a repeat performance this season.

The Rockets haven't even seen what Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets look like with a retooled reserve unit, and other teams in the West have stars that are capable of carrying their teams to competitiveness if they can stay healthy.

For the Rockets to become the best in the West, they need their performance against the Thunder to be the standard. The level of clutch basket-making and defense needs to persist against every NBA team. There are very few teams that are unable to compete this season; even teams that have been bad in recent seasons are capable of competitive basketball this year.

The Rockets may have begun with a strong start to this season, but they need to start finishing games off with victories. The early wins will matter more than ever this season in determining the Western Conference playoff bracket.