The greater meaning of the Houston Rockets 3-game win streak

A year after the NBA lost a legend in Kobe Bryant (R.I.P Mamba), the Houston Rockets are on their longest winning streak since James Harden was traded away. With John Wall facing his old team for the first time and Russell Westbrook coming back to Houston with a short-handed Wizards team, this game had many storylines and a mix of great and not-so-great moments, which ended in the Rockets extending their winning streak.

From injury bugs to COVID protocols to the whole Harden drama, the new-look Rockets have gotten off to a rough start to the season but it seems like the team is starting to build some chemistry now. A perfect play between Victor Oladipo and Wall in the midst of an 8-0 run in the 4th showed a ray of hope for the future.

With every player on the team contributing and showing their grit through these games, the team is showing their ability to compete. The continued development of chemistry between John Wall, Victor Oladipo, and Christian Wood will make the team better as the season progresses.

Could the Houston Rockets’ 3-game winning streak be a sign of brighter days ahead this season?

Through 15 games this season, the Rockets’ current big three of Oladipo, Wall, and Wood hasn’t played a single game together. Based on each player’s contributions to the team so far this season, seeing all three play together will be an intriguing and exciting combination.

Wood’s development into a star big man early in the season was the first big hit that GM Rafael Stone made. The contest between Wall and Westbrook last night alone shows that the Rockets are winning that trade currently. The resurgence of Oladipo and DeMarcus Cousins can make this team dangerous.

The contributions of the role players on the team has given the Rockets a level of depth and defensive tenacity that has been missing throughout the past few years of the team.

With Stephen Silas starting to establish his culture without having to worry about players buying in, the Rockets are starting to develop a gritty, hard-nosed identity that resembles the 2008-09 Rockets that lost Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming and still pushed the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals.

This team has the talent to go with the grit and can truly develop into a surprise contender in the loaded Western Conference. There is still a long way to go for the Houston Rockets to be seriously considered as a playoff team, but the flashes of potential the team has shown so far is something for the team and its fans to believe in.