Rockets take a hit in latest power rankings after a pair of unjustifiable losses

The Houston Rockets have dropped two games to categorically inferior opponents in the past week: the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings. As a result, they now sit at 17-9 and the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

For a team with hopes of rivaling the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets for a top seed, it goes without saying that these types of losses cannot happen.

Now, USA Today's latest NBA power rankings has dropped the Rockets all the way down to the eighth spot on their list. No matter what amount of weight you grant in-season power rankings, one thing is clear.

Houston must quickly re-establish themselves as one of the most dominant teams in the Western Conference. If they are unable to, they might as well kiss their season goodbye.

Rockets' latest power rankings placement is indicative of a worrying trend

Let's be clear. Losses happen throughout the course of an NBA season, and shifts in the standings happen. The Rockets, in all likelihood, were not going to remain a top-three seed from wire-to-wire.

Moreover, this past week was not all bad for Houston. In between their losses to the Pelicans and the Kings, they earned a massive, 115-101 victory over the Nuggets, shaking off some of the demons that had plagued them to this point in the season.

Yet those two ugly losses, to bottom-feeders of the Western Conference no less, are indicative of a more worrying trend.

While the Rockets have suffered losses at the hands of some of the league's top contenders, they have also now lost to the Dallas Mavericks, the Utah Jazz, the Pelicans, and the Kings. Those teams have just 36 combined wins to this point in the season.

In a more traditionally-constructed Western Conference, this might not be so worrying. Yet all it takes is one look at the Thunder to reveal what exactly the problem is.

Oklahoma City has lost just three games all year, with only one of those losses coming to a team that is not projected to earn a playoff spot. They are a juggernaut through-and-through, and all teams with championship hopes must measure themselves against them.

Houston will not finish the season as the sixth-best team in the Western Conference. They have shown too much dominance to not be in contention for a top-four seed.

However, losses, and dips in power rankings, such as these painfully illuminate the gap that still exists between them and the Thunder: a worrying development indeed.