Rockets' greatest strength is the one thing no team can take away from them

As the Houston Rockets have soared to a 9-3 record following their back-to-back losses to open the season, the team has revealed themselves as one of the most formidable offensive squads in the NBA, finding a way to emerge victorious even in games where they are dragged down into a defensive battle with their opponent.

Moreover, while some of their metrics, such as their 3-point shooting, might not be sustainable over the course of an entire regular season, there is one crucial aspect that guarantees this team will continue to be impressive as the season wears on: their effort on both sides of the floor.

Heading into play on Sunday night, the Rockets were first in the NBA in offensive rebounds and second-chance points, fifth in loose balls recovered and 10th in deflections. If a team with as much talent as Houston is willing to play that hard for all 82 games, there is little standing in their way.

The Rockets have carried over a crucial part of their identity from last season

Last season, although the Rockets soared to the second seed in the Western Conference, they did so primarily as a result of their burgeoning hard-nosed defensive identity, with their offensive performance lagging notably behind.

They were, arguably, the best defense in basketball for all of last year in terms of the intensity of their attack, swarming opposing offenses and utilizing the athleticism of players like Amen Thompson and Dillon Brooks to shut down their opponents.

Yet, in making the trade for Kevin Durant, there was a serious risk of them sacrificing a significant portion of that identity in order to make gains on the offensive end of the floor.

While Houston has taken a slight dip in that category production-wise (they are currently eighth in defensive rating compared to fifth a season ago), their effort has not waned, and players such as Steven Adams and Tari Eason have made the difference.

Where the offensive structure has changed, now being centered around the emerging chemistry of Durant and Alperen Sengun, their defensive approach has not evolved in a negative way, instead accounting for their deficits through an even more careful and extensive implementation of a zone defensive structure.

Moreover, on the offensive end of the floor, they have been even better at retrieving offensive rebounds: a fact that can be directly linked to their hot shooting start. When the Rockets are able to dominate the boards against opposing teams, they are able to demoralize them, granting themselves wide-open offensive looks in the process.

Therefore, it is a fair criticism to claim that Houston will likely not shoot above 40% from 3-point range on the season. Although they have improved immensely in that area, a threshold that high is, frankly, unsustainable.

Yet, the thing that is driving their performance, their sheer effort, is something that nobody can take away from them.