The Houston Rockets have spent this season looking like a different team on offense, and the numbers back it up. They’re sitting with the third-best offense in the NBA, and while that doesn’t automatically make them the third-best team overall, it does say plenty about how sharp this group has been so far.
The biggest shift starts with Alperen Sengun. He’s in the middle of a career year, and the most important part of it isn’t just scoring.
Sengun is averaging 7.9 assists per game, and that playmaking has become the engine of what Houston is doing. He’s defending well, too, but the offensive leap is what’s reshaping the whole operation.
This isn’t the same kind of attack the Rockets ran a year ago. They’re using Sengun in the high post, leaning on dribble handoffs, and letting him operate as a short-roll passer.
That naturally creates more movement and more passing, and it shows up in the flow of the offense. Houston is averaging 296.8 passes per game, which ranks 10th in the league.
Last season, they were at 279.5, good for 23rd. That’s not a tweak.
That’s a real stylistic change.
The Rockets have also trimmed down their isolation rate, dropping from 9.5% last season to 8.1% this year. That matters for Kevin Durant, whose role has shifted as a result. He’s still the team’s best isolation scorer, but the offense is asking him to do less of that heavy lifting.
It’s not that Sengun has suddenly become a better offensive player than Durant. It’s that Houston has found a cleaner fit.
Sengun is the playmaker here. Durant, at this stage, is more of a finisher, with his gravity carrying value even when he isn’t the one creating the action.
There’s also the simpler explanation: the Rockets are shooting better. They’ve bumped their three-point volume from 31.5 to 34.3 attempts per game, and their accuracy has climbed from 36.4% to 37.4%. A few players are having career years from deep, including Sengun, who is shooting 47.6% on 2.1 attempts per game, Jabari Smith Jr. at 42.1% on 6.3 attempts, and Marcus Smart at 40.0% on 4.4 attempts.
That part may sound familiar. The Rockets opened last season on a hot shooting run before cooling off later.
That could happen again. But if they keep leaning into this new offensive structure, they give themselves a much better chance of keeping the production where it is.
In Other News...
Fred VanVleet May Be Changing Everything For Houstons Offense
Fred VanVleets return has given Houston a steadier look on offense, and the early results have shown up in the standings. After missing the previous season, he is back in the mix and helping the Rockets to a 9-3 start while the attack looks less dependent on any one option. The veteran guard has also talked about the recovery process and the way he is fitting back into the flow, which matters for a team trying to build something more durable than a hot opening stretch.
The bigger picture is how the Rockets are spreading the load. Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun have formed a productive two-man game, and VanVleets presence has helped round out a more balanced approach around them. For Houston, that kind of offensive structure can be the difference between a good run in November and something that holds up when the schedule gets tougher, which is why his role is worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Face One Big Dejounte Murray Question At 9-3
Dejounte Murrays name has started to surface in Houston conversations again, and it is easy to see why. He has a past connection with Ime Udoka from their Spurs days, and Murray recently revisited the respect Udoka earned as an assistant in San Antonio. With Murray now in New Orleans and reportedly wanting out, the idea of a reunion in Houston has enough logic to keep circulating, especially for a Rockets team off to a strong 9-3 start.
The bigger issue is what Houston would be willing to put on the table if the front office ever decided to push in. Fred VanVleet has been one of the reasons the Rockets have looked so steady early, and his presence has mattered as much for what he brings in the locker room as for what he does on the floor. Even with the assets to chase a deal, Houstons hesitation around moving him leaves the Murray question hanging over the team without an obvious answer. [Read more 🡒]
Jabari Smith Jr. Is Giving The Rockets A New Reason To Dream
Jabari Smith Jr. has given the Rockets a real lift in the early going, providing steady production alongside Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun as Houston has found its footing. At 16.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, he has looked more efficient and more comfortable, the kind of development that can change the shape of a roster when a young forward starts to look like more than just a promising piece.
The bigger question now is how all of that holds up when the games get tighter and the margins shrink. Smiths value has already shown up in the regular season, but Houston will be watching closely to see whether his scoring, rebounding, and defensive versatility can carry over when the pressure rises and the Rockets need him to keep making winning plays. [Read more 🡒]