Top 4 emerging storylines for the Houston Rockets a month into the season

The Houston Rockets are 10-5.

Take a deep breath. Take a step back from your personal feelings. That's a good record for this team. Objectively, the Rockets have exceeded expectations in 2024-25.

Will they maintain this win pace? Time will tell. As of this writing, the Rockets are fourth in the Western Conference. Finishing in that place would be an extraordinary success. In any event, the team is off to a hot start.

There's no shortage of chatter around the squad. The Rockets are giving their fans plenty to talk about. That's an inevitable product of enjoying such a successful season.

Here are the 4 most compelling storylines surrounding the Rockets at this juncture.

4. Alperen Sengun - Defensive Demon?

Some of us have questioned Sengun's defensive potential at great lengths.

*Glances around awkwardly*

In 2024-25, he's answering those questions resoundingly. Sengun is averaging 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He's got a Defensive Box/Plus Minus (DBPM) of 3.3. The numbers say that Sengun has been a stout defender this year.

The numbers lie. We've seen bad defenders rack up stocks. Defensive metrics are notoriously flawed. Here's the rub:

The eye test says that Sengun has been a good defender as well.

He's improved tremendously in getting to the right position to contest layup attempts. Ime Udoka is deploying Sengun as a roamer, allowing Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason or Amen Thompson to guard rival bigs. Sengun is consistently flashing great instincts to make a positive impact on the defensive end of the floor.

Finally.

3. Jalen Green continues to struggle

There have also been ample questions about Sengun's fit with Jalen Green, Unfortunately, those questions remain unanswered. They may also be moot:

If Green can't raise his level of play, the Rockets will look to replace him next summer.

When the season began, Green looked like he'd finally put it together. That feels like a lifetime ago. Now, Green is averaging 19.7 points per game with a True Shooting % (TS%) of 51.6. That's the lowest mark of his career.

It could be that Green would perform better alongside a big who provides more conventional spacing - whether from the arch or vertically as a lob threat. It could also be that this is simply who Green is - a talented, athletic guard who's capable of piling on the points, but can't do it consistently.

It's no small miracle that Houston is 10-5 despite Green's struggles. It is getting difficult to avoid looking at this team and wondering how it would look if someone was playing his role effectively.

We may find out if nothing has changed by the offseason.

2. The 'Terror Twins' emerge

DBPM may be imperfect. It's still generally held to be the best catch-all metric to measure defensive impact. That's good news for the Rockets.

After all, Tari Eason's BPM is 4.4. Thompson's is 2.7. That lands them first and seventh in the NBA respectively.

The Rockets' formidable reserve tandem is forging an identity for the squad. If the Rockets are down, there's little cause for concern unless the opposing team has already withstood a flurry of furious defense from Eason and Thompson.

It feels inevitable that this duo will eventually shift to the starting lineup. Jabari Smith Jr. is underperforming, and Dillon Brooks was always a veteran placeholder. The 'Terror Twins' have arrived:

The rest of the NBA should be appropriately terrified.

1. Will the Rockets pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo?

What could be a bigger story than this?

Antetkounmpo is, at worst, a top-4 player in the NBA. His Bucks are having a woeful season. Trade rumors swirl about the former MVP winner, and the Rockets are near the forefront of those rumors.

Something about adding him would make sense. Antetokounmpo shares Hakeem Olajuwon and Ime Udoka's Nigerian roots. Udoka wants to build his team around defense. Moreover, the Rockets comfortably have the assets to offer the Bucks whatever they'd need if their superstar wing demands a trade.

Likely, Houston won't land Antetokounmpo this year. Both Sengun and Green are difficult to trade with poison pill provisions in their contracts. Next summer, when their contract extensions kick in, a deal will be easier to make.

That won't stop people from talking about it for now. If the Rockets continue to surge, and the Bucks continue to falter, it will be worth keeping an eye on this situation heading into the summer.

For now, the Rockets are 10-5.