Rockets Must Find a Way to Get on the Same Page with Playoffs Nearing

Will they be able to get on the same page?

Feb 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) celebrates with center Alperen Sengun (28) after a play during the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The 2025-26 NBA season was expected to be one of the Houston Rockets’ best seasons in recent memory. The team was coming off a second-place finish in the Western Conference in the previous season, with a 52-30 record in just Ime Udoka’s second season as Rockets head coach and third overall season as NBA coach.

The Rockets were even given title expectations, following the trade that saw the team land Kevin Durant, who hails as one of the game’s greatest scorers of all time. However, Houston sacrificed some of their depth and camaraderie when making the deal.

Justifiably. After all, it’s Kevin Durant. And he’s masked much of Houston’s warts this season. It’s a wonder that this Rockets team is at or near the same pace as last season’s Cinderella team that was viewed as one of the league’s surprising, up-and-coming ball clubs.

However, Houston’s chemistry has taken a hit. Dillon Brooks was very popular in the locker room and in the club house and Jalen Green had been here with the Rockets for four seasons.

Neither player was irreplaceable, but the chemistry certainly took a hit. There’s no way to replace that. Especially with Fred VanVleet also not on the floor.

He’s Houston’s captain and leader. And although he’s still been on the sidelines, he can only do so much from there. It’s not quite the same as him being on the court.

In addition, Steven Adams’ absence has also been a blow to the fabric of the Rockets’ chemistry.

Add it all up and you have a team lacking chemistry and familiarity with one another. And according to ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, there could be a greater reason for that.

“The Rockets, they look like a team that doesn't like each other. They look like a team that has zero chemistry. When I look at this squad, I know when they leave the arena, the practice facility, they all go their separate ways.

Nobody is going to dinner together. That's what I watch when I am looking at this team.”

This seems like pure speculation on Perkins’ part. Conjecture is probably a better way to coin it.

There's no way Perkins would know something that specific, unless he was around the team. And if he was around the team, he'd likely have a better explanation for the Rockets' lack of on-court chemistry. 

The real issue has been their lack of time together on the court, which they don't have much more time to address, before the postseason starts.