The Rockets Have Championship Pieces Despite Falling Short

The Houston Rockets have followed the path of several other teams that have reached deep into the postseason, despite not yet finding the same success of those teams.

Apr 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) moves to the basket against Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason (17) during the first half in game five of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Through several years of drafting and free agency, the Houston Rockets have built a team they believe can compete with any of the best teams in the NBA when fully healthy. The Rockets were not fully healthy this past season, a fact that the front office may be using to justify running it back with the same core rotation players.

The Rockets might be correct with their belief that the Rockets can compete, as they have many pieces necessary for a legitimate contending team.

The three most important roles that are filled by every contending team is at least two players who can consistently create their own buckets, and an elite ball handler who can withstand high pressure defense.

For many teams, the elite ball handler is also one of the players who can score on their own accord consistently. It looks a little different for the Rockets, as Fred VanVleet handles the ball at an elite level to help set up Alperen Şengün and Kevin Durant, Houston's best isolation scorers.

Durant is still an elite scorer at this stage in his career, and Şengün has earned two all-stars based on his offensive creativity and ability to dominate one-on-one matchups in the paint. Şengün adds the extra layer of using the threat of his scoring to create for others, keeping defenses honest and not allowing them to double team.

However, teams still choose to double team Şengün because of the inconsistent shooting around him. That is still a role that needs to be addressed, as the Rockets need better production from Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard to help maximize Şengün passing and prevent double teams from taking his offense away.

VanVleet is a quality catch-and-shooter, so that should help Houston's shooting percentage. Smith Jr. must continue his progress and his postseason success from deep into the regular season.

While the Rockets are missing the shooting element most contenders have, the lineup of strong defensive wings are another element of contending teams Houston already has.

Amen Thompson is the best of the bunch, with Eason and Smith Jr. filling in behind the one-time defensive team selection. Again, Smith Jr. must show more versatility as a defender, becoming a true switchable big, like he was projected to be in the draft. He showed improvement this season, but the best teams have several defenders who can play elite defense at the point-of-attack and when they help their fellow teammates and Smith Jr. isn't quite there yet against on-ball attackers.

The Rockets also have spark plug bench players, as Eason will likely return to the bench to play alongside Sheppard, Steven Adams, and a few other players that may not currently be on the roster as reserve changes are likely.

While the Rockets may not have performed at the same level as some contenders, they definitely have some of the pieces that are evident in each of the league's top contending teams.