Do the Houston Rockets Already Own a Championship Roster?

With the NBA trade deadline just a week away, the Houston Rockets will have to explore what moves can help them compete for an NBA Championship this season, but are they already there?
Jan 27, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9), forward Amen Thompson (1) and guard Jalen Green (4) react after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Jan 27, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9), forward Amen Thompson (1) and guard Jalen Green (4) react after defeating the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Houston Rockets have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024-2025 NBA season, sitting as the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 32-14 record and loaded with young talent.

With the trade deadline just a week away, Houston must assess its current roster and determine which moves are necessary in order to compete for an NBA Championship this season, but with the way thing have been going, it may already be there.

The Rockets, in the month of January alone, have gone 11-3, including two wins over the now 37-9 Cleveland Cavaliers, two wins over the 31-16 Memphis Grizzlies and a win over the NBA's Defending Champion Boston Celtics.

Coincidentally, their hot streak began once Amen Thompson jumped into the starting five on January 5, but is it really a coincidence? Thompson has made a clear leap in 2025, and it has helped not only on the defensive end, but the offensive end as well.

In his last 10 games, Thompson is averaging around 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists along with two steals and a block on the other end. Correlating with his success, Houston has jumped near the top in offensive rating and three-point percentage in the month of January.

Not only has the young forward flourished this past month, but his counterparts in Jalen Green and Alperen Şengün have also played great, if not, better with the lineup change. Green has shown that he can be an efficient, high-volume scorer with Thompson spacing the floor and running the fast break while Şengün has found it easier to make plays with the forward always being available for dumpoffs under the rim.

Combine that with steady play from veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets have found a recipe to success that could very well lead them to a Larry O'Brien trophy this season.

Houston also looks to have Jabari Smith Jr. back at some point this season, and it will be interesting to see how it decides to adjust once he returns, but its a testament of just how deep this roster truly is when you have to question whether or not a guy like Smith Jr. should come off the bench with how great this new starting five has been playing together.

The Rockets seem the have all the pieces in place for a real shot at an NBA title, but if there is one position they can improve at, it's there back-up point guard position. Still without a true playmaker coming off the bench, Houston could have issues down the road if VanVleet is struggling.

It remains to be seen whether the Rockets will look to address that issue. Despite that, Houston still sits near the top of the Western Conference and will likely give it a go with its solid young core.


Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.


Published
Amsal Madhani
AMSAL MADHANI

Amsal is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor's in Journalism and a Minor in Business. He was born and raised in Houston, Texas and specializes in coverage of the Houston Rockets.