The Houston Rockets (9-9) have now played 18 games of their 2020-21 regular season. With the schedule shortened to 72 games due to COVID-19, which pushed back the NBA calendar last year, this means that they’re officially a quarter of the way through the season.
Generally speaking, that sample size is becoming significant enough to draw some conclusions. While the record feels a bit misleading due to injuries, quarantines, and chemistry effects from James Harden’s early trade request (keep in mind, the Rockets were 3-6 with Harden), the sample offers ample evidence to begin analyzing individuals.
Since trading Harden, the Rockets have transitioned from the No. 22 overall defense to one of the league’s elite, and with a winning record. They ended January on a five-game winning streak.
This quarter-point analysis excludes players who have yet to play 100 game minutes with the Rockets (Kevin Porter Jr., Brodric Thomas, KJ Martin, Rodions Kurucs), since they haven’t played enough to get a sense of their abilities. In the case of Porter, Thomas, and Martin, all are reporting to the G League “bubble” for developmental purposes.
Here’s a look at the 12 core members of the Rockets who have played 100+ minutes during the 2020-21 season to date. The list is sorted by total minutes played, starting with the highest. Grades are determined relative to realistic expectations going into the year — i.e. even though rookie Mason Jones has one of the team’s highest grades, it doesn’t mean he’s automatically more valuable than those with lower grades.