Inside The Rockets

Rockets Beginning to Earn Respect

The Houston Rockets are letting opponents know they are ready to compete.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets are beginning to prove themselves to the rest of the league as a team to be taken seriously.

After going 18-9 to start the season, the Rockets have played well enough for a decent sample size that has people believing in them more now than ever.

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale believes the Rockets have arrived and are here to stay for a long time.

"Suggesting the Rockets are here temporarily or focusing solely on what happens in the postseason nevertheless misses the mark. They don't just have a top-two defense and top-seven net rating. They have the fifth-best point differential against teams that rank in the top 10 of that category. This isn't a fluke. It's an arrival," Favale writes.

The Rockets had a deep run to the NBA Cup semifinals, which is a sign of what could be coming, but the team still has a lot to prove not only to others, but themselves. There's still many games left in the season, and the Rockets cannot rest on their laurels amidst a very hot start.

The Rockets will now head north of the border for their next game to take on rising star RJ Barrett and the Toronto Raptors. Tipoff is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. ET inside Scotiabank Arena.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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