Rockets changed everything in one summer - it's turning the NBA on its head

The Houston Rockets have challenged conventional wisdom and are sprinting toward the quarter-mark of the season with ample reason for optimism. Houston traded for an aging veteran in Kevin Durant, doubled down on its big-heavy rotation, and aspired to prove that spacing isn't exclusively achieved through three-point shooting.

At 15-5 with elite marks in multiple phases of the game, the Rockets are turning a three-heavy NBA on its head and proving that the evolution of the game is more nuanced than often advertised.

Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors expedited the process of the three-point shot becoming essential to team success. In the decade since their first title, three-point shooting has been perceived as absolute in its value.

In many eyes, it's become rigid enough that teams that aspire to play with traditional bigs will inevitably falter and that those who shoot fewer threes are destined to fail..

Many teams have successfully challenged the notion, but few have done so in as direct a manner as the Rockets. Houston isn't necessarily averse to shooting threes, but it traded for a 37-year-old midrange specialist in Durant, paid interior-based bigs in Steven Adams and Clint Capela, and continues to run its offense through a big in Alperen Sengun and a non-shooter of a wing in Amen Thompson.

Despite their unorthodox approach to succeeding in the modern era, the Rockets have the third-best record in the NBA and are certifiably elite on both ends of the floor.

Rockets embracing traditional bigs, non-shooters, and midrange jumpers

Houston isn't just winning games—it's dominating. It ranks No. 2 in the NBA in net rating at +12.0, No. 2 in defensive rating at 109.8, and No. 4 in offensive rating at 121.7. It's achieved all of this despite ranking No. 30 in three-point field goal attempts.

Houston has created its success by understanding that playing to a team's strengths doesn't necessarily require disregarding minimum Association standards.

The Rockets may be dead last in three-point field goal attempts, but they're No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage. It's a direct result of how the players on the roster are being positioned to highlight areas of strengths and not force the issue in phases they may lack consistency.

As a result, the Rockets have put together a top-five offense by ranking No. 7 in both percentage of points scored in the paint and percentage of points scored via midrange shot attempts.

Furthermore, Houston's decision to invest heavily in traditional bigs has enabled it to rank No. 1 in the NBA in second chance points. It's also helped it rank sixth in points allowed in the paint. For that matter, its non-shooters have been among its most effective players.

Thompson, for instance, is shooting just 22.0 percent from beyond the arc, yet the Rockets are outscoring opponents by 15.1 points per 100 possessions when he's on the court.

Despite playing a style that shouldn't work in the aftermath of the three-point revolution, the Rockets look like true contenders. They're not just stifling teams with their defense, but scoring at an elite clip and proving that great basketball depends on knowing one's strenghts and weaknesses and strategizing accordingly.

Trading for Durant at the expense of a young building block and pairing Adams with Capela changed the dynamic in Houston. Turns out, Rafael Stone knew what he was doing.