Houston Rockets Move Up in Latest NBA Power Rankings

The Rockets are getting recognition from the rest of the NBA amid their NBA Cup semifinal appearance.

December 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) passes the basketball during practice prior to the Emirates NBA Cup semi-finals at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are quickly becoming one of the best teams in the NBA. Houston is set to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup semifinals after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the quarterfinals.

At 17-8, the Rockets hold the third seed in the Western Conference and are looking like a legitimate playoff team. Posting the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, Houston is led by a talented young core of Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Amen Thompson among others.

Houston has been rewarded by the media in Bleacher Report's latest NBA power rankings, written by Andy Bailey. The Rockets previously ranked ninth, but their new net rating of +6.8 moves them up to sixth.

"The Rockets are allowing just 105.1 points per 100 possessions," Bailey wrote. "That's the second-best mark in the league, and it can't be chalked up to just one player."

"Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Alperen Şengün and Fred VanVleet are all ranked in the 94th percentile or higher in Dunks and Threes' defensive estimated plus-minus (one of the most trusted catch-all metrics in NBA front offices)."

The Rockets sit a half-game out of the second seed, held by the Memphis Grizzlies, and 2.5 games behind the No. 1-seeded Thunder. A win against Oklahoma City tonight would put them up 2-0 on the season series.

Head coach Ime Udoka has Houston playing its best basketball in years. The hope is that the Rockets keep it up and secure a high playoff spot, which would be another massive step in the rebuild.

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