It's Not Yet Time to Panic for Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have now lost four-games in a row, but it isn't time to panic.

Feb 4, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Keon Johnson (45) shoots the ball as Houston Rockets forward Jae'Sean Tate (8) defends during the second half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets were the talk of the NBA after their back-to wins over the Cleveland Cavaliers, and last-second win over the Boston Celtics. After years of being an afterthought, the Rockets received praise from all corners of the NBA world.

Fast forward to today and the Rockets have lost four games in a row, will be without Fred VanVleet for at least two weeks and have fallen from second in the Western Conference to third and falling fast. After their heartbreaking loss to the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night, the Rockets are at their lowest point of the season.

Even with the recent losing streak, the Rockets are still 32-18. If you asked Houston fans at the beginning of the season what their record would be after 50 games, most would not have had them 14 games over .500. The recent losses to the Nets are concerning, but if you look at the bigger picture, the Rockets are still in good shape.

There are a few reasons to be optimistic about the Rockets' future. First and foremost, the Rockets are not playing with two of their five starters. The previous three games were three of five, as Alperen Sengun had missed three in a row.

The injuries are not long-term, and the Rockets should have their full roster next month. Even when healthy, Houston is not a team with a large margin of error, so getting back Jabari Smith and Fred VanVleet will make a big difference.

Another reason to be optimistic is that the Rockets have played six of their last seven games on the road. It doesn't matter how good of a team you are. That type of schedule will wear you down at some point. The Rockets will have played eight of nine on the road before returning home on Feb. 9 to take on the Toronto Raptors.

After this road trip, the Rockets play six out of their seven games at home until the end of February. At some point during the home stand, Houston should have VanVleet back and possibly even Smith. That will significantly boost the Rockets as they can return to their regular rotation.

A four-game losing streak is concerning for the Rockets. Losing to a lottery-bound Nets team two games in a row should never happen, but all is not lost for the team. The time is now for them to turn it around.

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