NBA Power Rankings: Where Are Rockets After All-Star Break?

The Houston Rockets are 24-30 up until the All-Star Break. Where does that put them in this week's power rankings?

Jeremy Brener | Feb 22, 2024

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are 24-30 up until the All-Star Break.

The team struggled on the road, especially in the last two weeks without Fred VanVleet, losing their last six away from Toyota Center.

However, all things considered, the Rockets are better than they have been, which prompted them to clock in at No. 19 in CBS Sports' power rankings, three spots higher than the previous week.

Fred VanVleet Jalen Brunson Knicks — Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

"Ime Udoka has taken the Rockets from the 29th-ranked defense in the NBA a season ago to sixth(!) this year," CBS Sports writes. "Surely the additions of Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks help in that department, but Udoka has gotten buy-in from the young guys as well, a positive sign moving forward as Houston looks to become a legitimate playoff contender."

Udoka will get VanVleet back for the stretch run as the All-Star point guard has been cleared for action and is expected to play tonight against the New Orleans Pelicans and tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns at home.

Rockets Record Projection: Finish Over .500?

The game against the Suns begins a five-game stretch where the Rockets only play Phoenix (three times) and the Oklahoma City Thunder (two times) in a five-game span that lasts until the beginning of March.

Published Feb 22, 2024

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.