How The Rockets Can Win Their First Series Since 2020

The Houston Rockets haven't won a series since the departure of James Harden, a fact they may be able to change this season.

Apr 1, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) dribbles the ball as Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) defends during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The NBA is entering it's final weeks of the season, and the Houston Rockets are still in a logjam between the No. 3 and No. 6 seeds. They're guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but that's where their guarantees end as they hope to win a first round match up for the first time since the 2020 Bubble postseason.

The Rockets may find difficulty winning against any of their prospective matchups this season, as all of their opponents have players who either have been MVP, or are capable of becoming MVP at some point in their careers.

Houston has its own MVP on the squad as Kevin Durant has had another All-NBA caliber season, but he's no longer at the peak of his powers and he requires more support from his teammates for the Rockets to have a chance.

Fortunately for the Rockets, they've recently found a higher rate of ball movement and player movement as they look to diversify their offense outside of Durant and Alperen Sengun isolations.

The Rockets have found ways to incorporate Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard more often into the offense, helping the team stay balanced against opposing defenses.

Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason have also knocked down a few more of their shots recently, and the Rockets have also gotten strong minutes from deep bench guys like Josh Okogie or Clint Capela with a recently increased role.

If the Rockets hope to overpower a team that has arguably more offensive firepower than itself, they'll have to do a much better job causing turnovers and creating easy buckets against teams that are better equipped to play consistent basketball.

Houston's issue is that the team relies so much on their open shooters to relive the pressure for the team's top players. Unfortunately, the Rockets haven't hit at a consistent high level all season, and it likely won't be an easy task to turn on that sort of production in the postseason, no matter who they end up facing in the first round.

The Rockets can win a first round if they are able to relieve some of the on-ball pressure on Durant. If he is able to use Sengun as an offensive hub to get open, he will be able to score at an efficient rate. The same goes for his teammates as the Rockets need the offense to be strong to have a chance at moving on in the playoffs.