Once a Strength, Lately the Rockets’ Defense Has Begun to Slip Like the Offense

The Houston Rockets started the season strongly in the first two months. After an opening night loss to the defending champion that could have gone either way, the Rockets would go on to win 13 of their next 16 games.

The Rockets had the best offense in the NBA, ranking at the top of the league in offensive rating, offensive rebounding, and, as the biggest surprise, 3-point shooting.

For several seasons leading up to the 2025-26 season, the Rockets had been one of the bottom-ranked teams in 3-point shooting, which made their ranking of first in the NBA seem too good to be true.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, that is exactly what happened: as they entered December, their shooting started to drop and has hit rock bottom in the last few months.

As 3-point shooting dropped, the Rockets' overall offense began to struggle, as they have been in the bottom five in most offensive categories since January 1st. Since the start of 2026, with the offense struggling, the Rockets have had to lean on rebounding and defense to keep them afloat.

When it comes to rebounding, the Rockets have been the best team in the NBA the last two seasons, mainly because of Steven Adams. With Adams' injury, the Rockets have had to adjust to being without one of the league's best offensive rebounders.

The Rockets are still one of the better rebounding teams in the league, but their other strength, which was their defense, has not been as fortunate.

The Rockets’ Defense Has Not Been the Same Since the All-Star Break

Mar 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots the ball against Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Defense has been one of the Rockets' main calling cards since Ime Udoka took over the team in the summer of 2023. That emphasis on defense has helped the Rockets go from a lottery team to a top-four team in the conference the last two seasons.

Their defense has kept them in the top four over the last few months despite the offense's struggles, but since returning from the All-Star break, especially against top teams, their once vaunted defense has continued to slip in the rankings.

Before the All-Star break in 53 games, the Rockets were a top-five defense. They ranked fourth in opponents' points per game, fifth in opponents' field goal percentage, and fifth in defensive rating.

They could lean on their defense most nights, even when shots were not falling. Since coming back from the break, that hasn't been the case on some nights.

In the 15 games since the break, the Rockets rank 16th in defensive rankings, 11th in opponents' points per game, 20th in opponents' 3-point shooting percentage, and 17th in opponents' field goal percentage.

Their defense has been a major issues especially agaisnt the top teams in Western Conference as they have given up 145 points to the San Antonio Spurs, 129 points to the Denver Nuggets, and most recently 124 points to the Los Angeles Lakers all with in the last two weeks.

For teams with a top-five offense ranking in the middle of the pack in defense, it may not be a major problem, but when you are toward the bottom in most offensive statistics for the last few months, that causes problems and is a big reason why the Rockets are only 8-7 since the break.

The Rockets' offense has been an issue for a few months, so it doesn't look like they'll return to their early-season success on that side of the court. They will have to get back to their top-five defense if they want any chance to advance further than last year's first-round exit in the playoffs.