The Houston Rockets are 5-0, and the vibes are about as high as they\u2019ve ever been during Kevin Durant\u2019s time with the franchise.<\/p>\n
The Rockets have outscored their opponents by 71 points through the first five games of the season, and during their dominant start, Durant has been Houston\u2019s No. 1 hype man on the bench, Fred VanVleet had his best game in two years and Ime Udoka even cracked a smile two games in a row.<\/p>\n
Anything is possible. After several prominent players across the league suffered significant injuries in the first week of the season, momentum is building behind those who believe Houston can be the best team in the West, or at least finish with the best record.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s the thing about getting off to a hot start: It feels like all the goals that were laid out before the season are suddenly within reach.<\/p>\n
But whether times are good or bad, always remember two things in October: There\u2019s still a lot of the season left, and things change quickly in this league.<\/p>\n
So how much of what we\u2019ve seen so far from the Rockets is a trend that we expect to continue, and how much of it is fool\u2019s gold?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s look at some of the most relevant storylines and decide what\u2019s real and what\u2019s fake:<\/p>\n
Brunson scores 38, AJ Dybantsa makes NBA debut and Stephen Curry drops 44<\/p>\n
Rockets\u2019 early dip defensively<\/p>\n
Houston had its best defensive performance of the season in Wednesday\u2019s 132-100 win over the struggling Milwaukee Bucks, but it also had some serious ups and downs on defense through the first four games.<\/p>\n
Wednesday\u2019s win will push them back into the top 10, but the Rockets ranked No. 15 in defensive efficiency heading into the Bucks game. This is the same team that finished No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, in defensive rating over the past two seasons.<\/p>\n
Per Cleaning the Glass, the Rockets allowed opponents to shoot a whopping 69.4 percent at the rim through the first four games of the season. A big part of that is the turnover problems the offense has experienced, which have led to a bunch of easy buckets on the other end.<\/p>\n
They\u2019re also giving up a ton of 3-pointers, but opponents are shooting a lowly 28.9 percent from the 3-point line in Houston\u2019s five wins. As good as the Rockets are on the perimeter, it\u2019s only a matter of time before the other team starts making shots.<\/p>\n
As useful as VanVleet has been on offense, his presence has given opposing teams an easy target if they want to mismatch-hunt.<\/p>\n
So is there legitimate reason to be concerned about the Rockets\u2019 defense?<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t think so. Marcus Smart has missed the last three games with a left forearm strain, and he\u2019ll make a big impact on this team\u2019s defense. Amen Thompson is also still rounding into his All-Defensive form as he adjusts to a different role than he had last season.<\/p>\n
This group still plays with the physicality and grit that\u2019s become its signature in recent seasons. Udoka will stay on his team about taking the defensive end seriously. It\u2019s been a little rough at times early, but I expect them to get back on track soon enough.<\/p>\n
\u015eeng\u00fcn playing at an All-NBA level<\/p>\n
Although it wasn\u2019t as devastating as Oklahoma City losing Jalen Williams or Minnesota losing Anthony Edwards, Rockets fans were disappointed to hear that star center Alperen \u015eeng\u00fcn would miss Wednesday\u2019s game and potentially the next few as he nurses a sore lower back.<\/p>\n
Through the first four games of the season, \u015eeng\u00fcn has averaged 24.5 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 58\/67\/77 shooting splits. His numbers have been absurd, but more than his production has stood out.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s been more assertive with the ball in his hands. He\u2019s been throwing his weight around in the paint against any big man opposing teams throw at him. While Thompson\u2019s spectacular block got all the attention after Houston\u2019s wild win over San Antonio last week, \u015eeng\u00fcn\u2019s dominance on the low block helped Houston take control late in that game. And it\u2019s not just what he\u2019s doing around the basket.<\/p>\n
\u015eeng\u00fcn is 6 of 9 from 3-point range to start the season, and his playmaking has been an essential aspect of Houston\u2019s vast improvement in half-court situations.<\/p>\n
\u015eeng\u00fcn has been an All-Star the last two seasons, but he\u2019s looking more like a serious All-NBA contender as he continues to improve as an all-around offensive weapon. Can he keep it up?<\/p>\n
Once he gets healthy, I think this is the \u015eeng\u00fcn we\u2019ll see. The shooting numbers won\u2019t be so outrageous, but having VanVleet back makes such a massive difference for \u015eeng\u00fcn. Maybe more than anyone else on the team.<\/p>\n
\u015eeng\u00fcn is getting the ball closer to the basket more often, and Houston is providing him enough space to cook folks in one-on-one situations.<\/p>\n
If the Rockets keep looking this good and start separating themselves as a potential No. 1 seed, \u015eeng\u00fcn could even be thrown around in way-too-early MVP conversations. But let\u2019s not get ahead of ourselves.<\/p>\n
Durant\u2019s career-low usage<\/p>\n
The Rockets have been so good through the first five games that their 38-year-old face of the franchise has almost become an afterthought in some of them \u2026 and that\u2019s a good thing.<\/p>\n
Before Wednesday\u2019s win, Durant\u2019s usage rate was at 24.3 percent, by far the lowest number of his career and down from last season\u2019s then-career low of 27.1.<\/p>\n
As \u015eeng\u00fcn, Thompson and other members of Houston\u2019s young core have shown their maturation, Durant has willingly taken a step back and given them the freedom to take more control on offense. Although his usage was at a career low last season, it felt like Houston couldn\u2019t function on offense when Durant wasn\u2019t on the floor because of the attention he draws and the spacing he provides when he doesn\u2019t have the ball.<\/p>\n
Durant\u2019s usage probably won\u2019t be this low for the rest of the season, but it\u2019s great news for the Rockets that they don\u2019t have to demand so much from their best player in his 19th season. They can focus more on making sure he\u2019s at his best once April arrives.<\/p>\n
When he has asserted himself, Durant has made it clear that his game hasn\u2019t slipped and that he can knock his patented middies from 12 to 18 feet away whenever he feels like it.<\/p>\n
But the Rockets don\u2019t need Durant to play at a superstar level to be at their best. That\u2019s the biggest positive development this team could\u2019ve asked for this season\u2019s group.<\/p>\n
Reed + Tari lineups domination<\/p>\n
Houston\u2019s revamped starting five got most of the attention during the preseason, but it\u2019s been some of their bench units that have steamrolled opponents in these early wins.<\/p>\n
Per DataBallr, the Rockets have outscored opponents by a stunning 21.1 points per 100 possessions when Reed Sheppard and Tari Eason share the floor.<\/p>\n
While those two have gotten a couple of spot starts to begin the season due to injuries, they\u2019ve been a force as a tandem coming off the bench with their energy and disruptiveness on defense.<\/p>\n