The Houston Rockets Defense Has Played at an Elite Level Recently

Over the last 15 games, the Houston Rockets' defense has been elite. It has been even better over the last seven games, as they have accomplished something that last year's team didn't on defense.

Feb 23, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) reach for a rebound in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

When Ime Udoka first took over the Houston Rockets after the 2022-23 season, he knew how he wanted to build the team and what reputation he wanted his players to have throughout the league.

The Rockets were coming off their worst three-year stretch in franchise history and were ready to move past the rebuilding years and become a more competitive team. Udoka wanted the Rockets to be a tough-minded, hard-playing team that dominated the boards and, most importantly, played elite-level defense.

The Rockets were one of the worst teams in the NBA during the rebuilding seasons, and the main reason was their bottom-ranked defense. The Rockets, at times, could score with most teams in the NBA, but more often than not, they couldn't stop anyone on the other side of the court.

Udoka and Rockets General Manager Rafael Stone knew that they would need a certain type of player. The Rockets didn't waste anytime as they brought in tough-minded veterans to help guide the younger players. Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

VanVleet was an NBA Champion and former All-Star who is known as one of the hardest-playing guards in the NBA, and even at 6’1", never backs down on the defensive end.

Even though Brooks was coming off a disastrous playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers was still known as one of the best defensive players in the NBA and brought the edge the Rockets needed. The Rockets saw immediate improvement on defense and in the standings, finishing 41-41 in Udoka's first season.

The Rockets saw even more success the following season, winning 52 games and finishing with a top-five defense. However, the Rockets felt that the team had run its course, and even though they didn't want to trade Brooks to the Phoenix Suns as part of the Kevin Durant deal, they couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring in an all-time great player.

Even though Amen Thompson had taken over as the team's best defensive player, Brooks was still the team's defensive captain. With his departure, the Rockets had to adjust their defense, switching less and trapping the ball handler more on pick-and-rolls.

To start the season, the Rockets' defense, not the offense, was the weak point of the team. The narrative began to form that the Rockets' defense was not the same without Brooks and that replacing him with Durant on defense would be an issue all season.

However, as the season has gone along, the Rockets' defense has improved each month as they have started to figure out what their defensive identity will be this season.

The Houston Rockets' defense has been elite the last 15 games.

As the Rockets' offense started to come back to earth, starting in December, and sometimes crashed and burned, the Rockets' defense started to pick up the slack.

In fact, the Rockets' defense in the last 15 games has played at an elite level. The Rockets are giving up only 106.1 points per game in that time frame, which ranks third in the NBA. They have been even better in the last seven games, where they have not allowed an opponent to score more than 110 points.

Even though the defense was dominant last season, they didn't accomplish that feat. The last time the Rockets held opponents under 110 points seven times in a row was in November of 2023.

The Rockets realize they have to be better on the offensive end to go deep into the playoffs, as you can't just depend on rebounding and defense. At the end of the day, the Rockets know they are at their best when they play elite lockdown defense.