The Houston Rockets Have Been a Below .500 Team Since December 1

Over the past 19 games the Houston Rockets have been a below average team at best. The Rockets problems have been both self-inflicted and some have been out of their control.

Jan 11, 2026; Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka looks on during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets have hit a rough patch in their 2025-26 season. Since the start of December, up until Sunday's loss in Sacramento, the Rockets have been below-.500 team as they have dealt with everything from a demanding schedule to injuries and, overall, poor play on the court.

The Rockets suffered another embarassing loss last night this time to a Kings team who had loss seven games in a row coming in and had the worse record in the Western Conference. That is two wins in a row for the Kings over the Rockets in the span of a month and the recent losses have moved the Rockets from the third best record in the conference all the way down to the seventh seed.

It hasnt been just one problem that has caused the Rockets to go 9-10 since December 1st. As pointed out earlier the Rockets have dealt with a multitude of issues some self-inflicted some out of their control. Here is a few of the problems with the Houston Rockets the last 19 games.

The Rockets Have Been a Below Average Team at Best the Last 19 Games

The Rockets' schedule from the first of December up until now has been extremely difficult, which has played a part in their 9-10 record. 13 of the last 19 have been on the road. Injuries have played a part as well. Sengun has missed 7 games during this time. Eason has missed 9 games, and Steven Adams has missed 5.

The coaching staff has not made the proper adjustments in games, and the rotation has not been good at times, which has cost them. Their offense is predictable and, too often, relies too much on one-on-one play.

They are not playing with the same intensity, especially on defense, after going from a top-three defensive team to 16th in defensive rating over the last month and a half. Players who were shooting career highs from 3 have begun to see their averages drop.

Rockets are 24th in 3-point percentage in the last 19 games and even worse in the last four games at 23.1 percent. 28th in free-throw shooting since December 1st, which has cost them a few games, but also is the result of tired legs as well.

The only players who have been consistently good over the last month and half have been Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson. The rest of the team has taken turns being inconsistent and struggling on both sides of the basketball.

There is no such thing as a must-win in January, but the Rockets cannot lose to the Bulls at home, especially with OKC and Minnesota coming up. The coaches, not just the players, have to make changes asap or it could get even worse than it is right now.