The Rockets May Struggle In Postseason Play Regardless Of Seeding

The battle for a higher seed seems nearly negligible now that the Rockets have lost to basically each of their potential first round matchups.

Mar 18, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) reacts to a call while playing against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Şengün

The Houston Rockets haven't shown their best basketball in recent weeks. They've been given the opportunity to play against teams they are directly in competition with for a higher seed before the postseason. Other teams in the West have had their own struggles, but those teams have at least one player they could depend on to reach another gear and deliver down the stretch of the season.

The Rockets don't have a player the same caliber as Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, or Nikola Jokic. Kevin Durant is still an impactful scorer, but not to an MVP level like some of these players on opposing teams.

The chances are high that the Rockets will run into one of these players in the first round, and it only gets more difficult from their if Houston manages to sneak out of round one.

There are a few elements for the Rockets that likely won't change heading into the postseason.

For one, Durant should expect to get hard traps and double-teams for the rest of the season and the playoffs. There's no avoiding the fact that teams will force Houston's other players to beat them, regardless of how well the Houston's other players have played throughout the game.

No matter what, players like Amen Thompson, Alperen Şengün, and Jabari Smith Jr. will always defer to Durant at the end of games. If a defense is singularly focused on making sure Durant doesn't beat it, the Rockets aren't all of a sudden going to find open space for their Hall-of-Fame scorer at the end of games.

However, even if the other players on the team have strong games, it's not certain they can be trusted consistently in the clutch to not lean on Durant.

Thompson has been effective and aggressive during Houston's recent struggles. His scoring has popped over the last several games, which is positive outcome from this season. One of Houston's main limitations is Thompson's inability to shoot, allowing defenses to load up in the paint when he has the ball. He has been able to attack the open space and force defenses into bad positions, helping open the floor a little more for his teammates.

Smith Jr. has also taken steps forward this season, developing a solid mid-range shot to supplement his scoring when his three-point shot isn't falling as efficiently. His handle has improved enough to allow him to get to his spots in the mid-range effectively as well.

Şengün has had the latent talent to explode in scoring and passing, but he'll need to do both with the possibility of limited space in the post against teams that double and dig at the ball during post play.

The Rockets have warts that must be figured out by the postseason if they truly want to do damage and go on a long run. If they can't find out how to break past their limitations, it might not matter who they play in round one.