Rockets are still proving their status as contenders despite puzzling season

The Houston Rockets have had a puzzling 2025-26 season, but Bleacher Report was right to give them an A in their report card. They just published an article grading every team's performance so far, and the Rockets brought home a great mark.

It's weird. It doesn't feel like an A season so far, does it? The Rockets have lost to (or narrowly beaten) far inferior teams. At 16-6, they're third in the Western Conference. That's wonderful, but it doesn't establish Houston as the second-best team in the NBA as they'd hoped.

So if they're short of expectations, how do they deserve an A?

Rockets are delivering an A season

Firstly, the numbers speak for themselves.

The Rockets' 10.3 Net Rating is second in the NBA. If you put enough stock in those numbers, they are the second-best team in the NBA. The Nuggets are ahead of them in the standings, but that's partly for the simple reason that they've played more games.

Houston's 121.4 Offensive Rating ties with Boston for the third-best mark in the league. Their 111.0 Defensive Rating lands in the same spot. This team is a two-way force that looks primed for a deep playoff run.

Perhaps it's the way they're getting their offense that leaves something to be desired. You know the story by now. The Rockets' half-court offense is middling in terms of efficiency, but their dominant offensive rebounding carries their offense to an elite level.

Fine. Let's not fuss about how the sausage is made. The Rockets are third in offense and third in defense:

What's the problem?

The Rockets still have room to improve

It doesn't feel sustainable, does it?

Sure, the Rockets can beat teams up on the offensive glass. That's great. It's a statistical advantage, and it's something they should continue to exploit. More possessions mean more opportunities to score, which means more scoring. Simple.

That said, the Rockets need to tinker with their offense so that their first shot tends to be good. If they can do that and maintain their offensive rebounding edge, nobody will dispute that they're an A-grade team.

For now? They're still an A-grade team, whether you want to dispute it or not. Fans shouldn't overthink it. They shouldn't focus on aesthetics. This team is 10 games above .500 and top-5 in both offense and defense:

What other grade could you give them?