NBA Power Rankings: Rockets Making Progress After Win vs. Mavs?

The Houston Rockets have only won three games, but where do they land in this week's power rankings?

Jeremy Brener | Nov 21, 2022

The Houston Rockets are losers of their last two games, but the team appeared to make progress after staying tough against the Golden State Warriors Sunday night.

While the Rockets' 3-14 record is a conference-worst, Houston doesn't end up last in this week's power rankings from Sports Illustrated. Instead, the team ranks 29th, one spot ahead of where it was last week and ahead of the Detroit Pistons.

"Another week brought more losses for Houston," SI writes. "First against the Clippers, then the Pacers and finally the Warriors on Sunday night. The only interruption to their losing was a trip to Dallas against the Dončić-less Mavericks. The Rockets are tied for the fewest wins in the league and average nearly as many assists per game as turnovers. At least they have a long break before their next game Friday against the Hawks."

The team's win against the Mavs, despite not facing Dončić, showed that the team can compete. Rookie Jabari Smith Jr. has made strides in his game, as well as Tari Eason and K.J. Martin. While it may not show in the record, the team is improving in the eye test.

The Rockets face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday at home.

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Published Nov 21, 2022

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.