Heading into the start of the 2025-26 season, the Houston Rockets found themselves facing big expectations. After pairing their promising young core with an all-time talent in Kevin Durant, many believed that they had the pieces to make a run at a championship. Despite navigating some obstacles through the first half of the year, they've lived up to the high bar set for them and are poised to remain a threat in the Western Conference.
As the regular season reaches its halfway point, the Rockets have a lot to feel positive about. They are a top-five seed in the West currently with a 25-15 record. With there being only a small gap between them and the teams ahead of them, there remains a possibility Durant and company climb the standings during the second half of the year.
While teams gear up for the back end of their schedule, ESPN's Kevin Pelton decided to dish out mid-season grades for all 30 NBA teams. The Rockets landed a fair grade of a B+ as they maintain a 52-win pace.
"I thought that expectations were inflated for Houston in the wake of Fred VanVleet's September ACL tear, which left the Rockets without any proven point guard options," Pelton wrote. "As Houston hoped, recent lottery picks Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard have solidified the position, with Sheppard making a leap in his sophomore campaign. And Kevin Durant has been the difference-maker the Rockets hoped, leaving Houston top-five in offensive rating despite a recent slump."
Losing Fred VanVleet before the season even began was a huge blow for the Rockets, but they've bounced back nicely. Led by the star duo of Durant and Alperen Sengun, Houston has solidified itself in the Western Conference's upper echelon.
The Rockets have come out of the gates strong, but there is still a lot of work to be done. They'll look to gain as much momentum as possible in the second half of the season to gear up for what should be a highly competitive playoffs in the Western Conference.