**Rockets’ Remarkable Rise: Front Office Excellence, Young Star Breakouts, and NBA Cup Implications**
At 15-6, the Houston Rockets are tied for the second-fewest losses in the Western Conference and boast the NBA’s No. 2 net rating. Remarkably, just two years ago, Houston was coming off three straight rebuilding seasons with the worst record in the West. This rapid turnaround has occurred under the guidance of general manager Rafael Stone, blending the development of young talents like Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., and Reed Sheppard, with key veteran acquisitions such as Kevin Durant, Steven Adams, and the injured Fred VanVleet.
Making matters even better, the Rockets have built and developed this core while retaining several high-value future draft assets. Houston’s management sees this draft equity as a means to remain a sustainable contender, both in terms of desirable trade pieces and a cost-efficient way to replenish roster depth.
**Front Office Recognition**
With the 2025-26 regular season at its quarter mark, The Athletic interviewed 36 NBA executives — including team presidents, GMs, vice presidents, and assistant GMs — to rank the league’s top front offices. Led by Stone, Houston ranked No. 3, behind only the last two champions: the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics.
> “High-end talent, a willingness to be bold, and good asset management,” summarized one executive.
Houston received one first-place vote; six second- and third-place votes each; five fourth-place votes; and three fifth-place votes.
> “They have drafted well, built a deep team in a tough Western Conference while managing tax aprons. Hired a good coach (Ime Udoka) and built an overall team identity, then added KD for cheap. From where they were only a few years ago, they have done a good job turning it around,” said another executive.
Sam Amick of The Athletic notes that Stone highly values this young core and has resisted shortcut moves for overpriced veterans. He also highlights Udoka’s influential voice in front office decisions and that the Rockets acquired Durant at a relatively low asset cost. Houston isn’t interested in pursuing a trade for Memphis’ Ja Morant.
This marks dramatic progress — just a year ago, Houston finished in a tie for the No. 11 spot in The Athletic’s front office rankings.
**Upcoming Schedule Updates: NBA Cup Fallout**
Following their Emirates NBA Cup 2025 elimination, the Rockets (12-4) learned of two additional December regular-season games:
– **Dec. 11:** vs. Los Angeles Clippers (5-14) at Toyota Center, 7:00 p.m. Central
– **Dec. 15:** at Denver Nuggets (13-5), 8:30 p.m. Central
During Cup play, Houston, the Clippers, and the Nuggets all went 2-2 in Western Conference group-stage action. Only four teams per conference advance to knockout rounds, making a 2-2 record typically insufficient. Teams that don’t advance have two added December games against same-conference opponents who were also eliminated.
Houston’s scheduling formula involves two games against every Eastern team, and either three or four against Western teams. To trim the total to the requisite 82 games, some West teams (Clippers, Nuggets, Warriors, Thunder, Timberwolves, Lakers) rotate as three-times opponents. Add-on games are selected from these teams — with Cup advancement for the Thunder and Lakers removing them from Houston’s potential matchups.
**Rockets’ Young Stars Shining**
Despite injuries to Durant (personal reasons), Adams (right ankle), Tari Eason (right oblique), VanVleet (right knee), and Dorian Finney-Smith (left ankle), the Rockets (12-4) secured a comeback road win over Golden State, featuring stars like Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green. The standout was second-year guard Reed Sheppard, who posted career highs with 31 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 48% from the field with four 3-pointers.
Head coach Ime Udoka said:
> “He was big. Reed really held us together when guys were struggling.”
Sheppard, starting for the past two games, is averaging 14.3 points, 3.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 24.9 minutes, with shooting splits of 48.8% overall and an elite 45.5% from three (11th in the NBA). His advanced metrics are jaw-dropping for a 21-year-old:
– **Box Plus/Minus:** 5th (7.3)
– **Defensive BPM:** 6th (2.7)
– **Offensive BPM:** 15th (4.6)
– **Win Shares per 48:** 10th (.208)
– **Value Over Replacement Player:** 16th (0.9)
– **True Shooting %:** 42nd (62.9)
– **PER:** 40th (19.6)
– **Steal %:** 5th (3.3)
Among American players, Sheppard currently ranks highest in BPM, trailing only MVP-caliber stars like Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Luka Doncic. In Udoka’s words:
> “Defensively is where he’s shown the most improvement. The blow-bys are getting less. He’s catching up with the physicality.”
After 16 games — nearly 20% of the season — Houston’s championship ceiling hinges not just on Durant and Sengun, but on the leaps of young stars like Sheppard and Thompson, evident in recent wins over Phoenix and Golden State.
**NBA Cup Scenarios Explained**
Entering Thanksgiving week, every NBA team had at least one Cup group-stage game remaining. The Rockets (10-4 regular season, 1-2 Cup play), however, face near-certain elimination after their recent group-stage loss to Denver.
Even winning their group finale at Golden State Wednesday only puts Houston at 2-2. For Houston to win Group C would require a series of unlikely results: Portland loses to San Antonio, followed by a San Antonio win over Denver. Even then, Houston’s head-to-head record would not be enough to advance.
A wild-card spot goes to the best second-place finisher in the conference, but unless Group A or B’s runners-up finish 2-2 (not 3-1), Houston would miss out. Teams like the Timberwolves and Thunder have much greater point differentials, making an unlikely scenario for the Rockets to leapfrog them.
If eliminated, Houston receives two added regular-season games against fellow eliminated Western teams, ensuring an 82-game schedule for all. This likely means a home game versus the Warriors and a road game, possibly against the Timberwolves or the loser of the Lakers-Clippers Cup match.
On the bright side, eliminated teams receive a bonus home game, which for Houston would be against Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and the Warriors — always a fan-favorite matchup in Toyota Center.
**Conclusion: Rockets Set Up for Sustained Success**
With a revitalized front office, a blend of emerging stars and veteran leadership, and a favorable draft future, the Houston Rockets have executed one of the NBA’s most impressive turnarounds. The development of players like Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson, combined with strategic scheduling outcomes and strong leadership, has Houston well-positioned for both immediate playoff contention and long-term success.
As the team looks forward to full health and high-profile matchups, Rockets fans have plenty to be thankful for — and excited about — as the season progresses.
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*Stay tuned for updates on the Rockets’ schedule, NBA Cup results, and continuing front office recognition throughout the 2025-26 NBA season.*
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