One of the most compelling storylines league-wide heading into the new season was what the Houston Rockets would do in light of the injury to starting point guard Fred VanVleet. After the veteran guard had surgery to repair an ACL tear, the Rockets were left with just sophomore guard Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holliday at the position. Critics wondered what move general manager Rafael Stone would make to fill the massive void. Houston had traded for superstar forward Kevin Durant earlier in the summer and had massive aspirations.
After a shaky start to the season which saw the new-look Rockets fall to 0-2 following close losses to the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder and resurgent Detroit Pistons, the Rockets have come roaring back, ripping off five wins in a row to improve their record to 5-2. What’s most impressive is the manner in which they’ve done it – through seven games, the Rockets lead the league in points per game (124.7), rebounds per game (50.0), and three point percentage (42.7%). The Rockets are first in net rating (+12.3), first in offensive rating (122.4), sixth in defensive rating (110.1), and first in rebound percentage (56.0%). So far, Houston has been dominant, crushing teams on the glass with size, and efficiently knocking down outside shots.
And all of this comes without a point guard. 6’7 forward Amen Thompson has been starting at the position, and bringing the ball down the court, but Houston has initiated the bulk of its offense through center Alperen Sengun and Durant. Sheppard has served primarily as an off-ball sniper, connecting on 42% of his three-point attempts in the early going. After starting the season with center Steven Adams next to Sengun, head coach Ime Udoka has inserted journeyman forward Josh Okogie into the starting lineup in place of Adams. The result has been that the Rockets have soared. It’s very early, but for now, Udoka seems to have found a formula for success, running his offense through his two front-court stars. At the end of games, Sengun has often also brought the ball up the court himself.
Especially in the very early going, the Houston offense has looked discombobulated at times, but things should continue to improve as players acclimate themselves with one another and Udoka’s system evolves. For now, the Rockets do not look like a team in need of any changes.