The Houston Rockets’ strong start to the 2024-2025 season has been their strongest yet in recent years, causing them to catch the attention of fans and analysts alike. After several years of facing a rebuild and plenty of adversity, the Rockets have finally emerged as an explosive young team that is exhilarating to watch.
This comes as their young talent contains large amounts of athleticism and team chemistry, leading to a threatening squad that is capable of taking down the strongest in the league. But although they have surged to the top of the rankings in the early season, the question remains to be answered as to whether this level of play will continue or if it will die out as the season continues.
“I have enjoyed watching the Rocket’s early season games this year and look forward to seeing success from them in the coming years,” Dominic Hurd ‘26 said.
At the heart of this young team lies its core in Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. Green, a guard who was picked up by the Rockets in the 2021 draft, has begun to show his full capabilities as an elite playmaker and decisive leader. He overall has a dangerous set of skills that make him a nightmare for defenses to manage, leading him to average a dominant 20.2 points a game so far this season.
Meanwhile, Sengun, a versatile foreign player out of Turkey, has proven himself to be a versatile big man who is effective and key in both facilitating the offense and defense. This playmaking ability has also given Sengun a headache for the opposing team, leading to Sengun averaging 19.3 points and 10.4 rebounds a game.
Overall, this dynamic duo between Sengun and Green has leveled up the Rockets as a whole, leading to more fluid play on both offense and defense.
“I believe that the team as a whole has come together from the star players to the coaching and that this has caused their success,” Joseph Edmundson ‘26 said.
Not only have their two stars led to the Rockets’ success this season, but the coaching staff and other starting players have also been essential in their explosive growth and start. Ime Udoka, the Rocket’s new coach as of the 2023 season, has played a key role in developing the Rocket’s young talent and instilling the right mindsets into their players, leading to a boost in performance. Additionally, key veterans like Fred VanVleet have massively helped the Rocket’s young squad by offering their maturity and leadership skills, leading to a more developed, fluid working team.
“I believe that the Rockets will make the playoffs this year and hopefully make a run,” Hurd ‘26 said.
Ultimately, the Rockets’ strong start to the season is a promising sign for the future of the team and Houston basketball. Based on their strong record, the Rockets will likely make it to the playoffs. However, it is hard to say if they will make a run into the deeper sections of the playoffs. If anything, the city of Houston should take this season as a promising sign of success from the Rockets in the coming years.
