How Long Before the Rockets Regress From Their Hot Shooting?

The Houston Rockets are red hot on the offensive end as we get past the quarter-season mark of the NBA year. 23 games in, they rank third in such rating, averaging over 120 points per game. For context, only four other teams are scoring that much.

The Rockets' soaring offense can be attributed to a few things, the most notable being the rebounding. Houston is on track to break the league's offensive rebounding percentage record at 41.2%. No team in the play-by-play era (1996-97) has exceeded 38% in a season.

The other main factor is Houston's scorching three-ball. Despite ranking dead last in three-point attempts, the Rockets are knocking them down at a 39.9% clip, ranking third in the league. They are the only team in the top 10 of three-point percentage making less than 12 attempts per game (11.8).

Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason and Kevin Durant are three of the team's best shooters right now. Eason, while injured, leads the NBA in three-point percentage (50.9%). Sheppard has taken a leap early in his career, averaging 12.9 points on 46-44-70 shooting splits.

Durant is, of course, one of the most talented scorers ever, continuing to show he's an extremely efficient bucket-getter. The 37-year-old is averaging 24.8 points, but doing so on near-50-40-90 splits.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes noted that Houston's biggest problem is the imminent cool-off from deep. On top of it being hard to stay hot on such low attempts per game, the Rockets' turnover issue could accentuate struggles when the shot isn't falling. They rank 27th in turnovers per game and 29th in turnover percentage.

"Compounding the problem, Houston has yet to shake its turnover issues," Hughes wrote. "Though Fred VanVleet's absence hasn't hurt the Rockets' bottom line so far, the offense is clearly struggling to take care of the ball without him.

"After committing turnovers on just 13.8 percent of their possessions last season, ranking eighth-best in the league, the Rockets are giving the ball away on 16.2 percent of their possessions in 2025-26. That figure ranks 28th."

VanVleet's injury is certainly a reason why Houston can't take care of the ball. It's tough when Alperen Sengun, the team's center, has to initiate the offense from just across half court, and Sheppard, more of a 3&D guard, is tasked with being a floor general in year two.

Houston's hot shooting should cool off by the time the playoffs roll around, which means the task will be keeping the offense afloat in a crowded Western Conference against some tough defensive units.