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The Whiteboard: The Houston Rockets are about to get tested

By Ti Windisch

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 05: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets watches the action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 05: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets watches the action against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on November 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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The Houston Rockets will have to prove themselves in a tough portion of their schedule after a shaky start to their season.

The Houston Rockets are 4-5. Before the season began, it might be more believable that Houston would be 34-5 at some point this season, but a combination of injuries and offseason losses have resulted in a poor start for the Rockets. After all, they’re 4-5 after a three-game winning streak.

Winning three straight might make it look at though Houston is back and ready to roll, but appearances can be deceiving. While it’s true that the Rockets haven’t lost in their last three games, only one of those came against a respectable team.

The first two wins were back-to-back bouts with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls, and the Rockets really had to work to win both of those games. Houston then took on the Indiana Pacers, a game in which the Rockets squeaked out a four-point win. Houston has yet to win a game by 10 or more points this season, something the team accomplished three times through their first nine games last year.

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The Rockets’ next five games provide much more of a challenge and should tell us what Mike D’Antoni’s team is really made of. The Rockets travel to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder on Thursday, followed by a back-to-back first in San Antonio and then at home the next night to play the Pacers again. Then Houston has to travel to take on the soaring Nuggets in Denver, followed by a home match-up against the Golden State Warriors.

Hell, if the Sacramento Kings are for real after all, the sixth game in that stretch won’t be easy for Houston either! It’s too early in the season to call these games must-win, but if the Rockets lose more than three of them they’re going to be in a tough position.

The Western Conference is brutal. A couple of games in the standings can bump a team from the three seed to the eight seed, or out of the postseason entirely. It is easy to overreact to early NBA results, but these games count just as much in the standings. If the Houston Rockets can’t get back to winning ways immediately, it could really cost them come playoff time.

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