The First 10 Post All-Star Games for the Rockets Will Be Very Important

The first ten games after the All-Star break are important for the Houston Rockets as they look to climb back up the standings after falling to the fourth seed.

Feb 12, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) and forward Amen Thompson (1) celebrate with forward Dillon Brooks (9) after a three point basket against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are in the middle of the NBA All-Star break as they prepare for the final 28 games. The Rockets desperately needed a break as several players have been dealing with multiple ailments.

The Rockets have been without two starters, Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith, for the last several weeks. They are currently 34-20 after only winning three of their last ten games. With the Rockets' recent struggles, they have fallen from the second to the fourth seed in the Western Conference.

The Rockets' first ten games will be crucial coming out of the All-Star break. The Rockets are two games behind the third-place Denver Nuggets but only a game in the loss column in front of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Having home-court advantage is important for any team, but especially for a team like the Rockets, which has several players who have never played in a playoff game. As such, coming out of the break strong is of extreme importance.

Six of the first 10 games are against current playoff teams, but six are at home. The Rockets had a rough schedule the previous few weeks, at one point having played seven out of eight on the road. The Rockets' competition level has increased since the start of 2025, which has played a big part in their struggle last month.

The Rockets start with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, Feb. 22. The Timberwolves have been one of the teams that have given the Rockets the most trouble the last few years and defeated the Rockets in their previous matchup 127-114.

Another development for the Rockets in the next ten games is that they may have their full lineup back for the first time in over a month with the return of VanVleet and Smith. Ime Udoka stated that it wouldn't take Smith long to return to the court once he is cleared for physical activity. VanVleet hasn't participated in full-contact practices but has been doing on-court work. Both players' return would help the Rockets get back on track in the first ten after the break. If the Rockets want to stay in the top four, they must start putting together wins in the next ten games.

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