The Rockets have surged to 4th place in the power rankings! Leading the league in offensive efficiency: a record-breaking 45.4% three-point shooting rate.

On November 4th Beijing time, the NBA's official power rankings were released, showing the Houston Rockets rising from 11th position previously to 4th in the current update. The Rockets boast an offensive efficiency of 126.5, topping the league, a defensive efficiency of 113.5 ranked 12th, and a net efficiency of +13.0, ranking second overall.

The Rockets lost by a total of 5 points in their first two games but then went on a three-game winning streak, outscoring opponents by a combined 73 points, dominating with the league’s best offensive performance.

Key statistics

Last week, the Rockets’ victories over the Nets and Raptors both ranked among the top three offensive efficiency games across the league this season. Against the Nets, the Rockets scored 137 points on 92 possessions — according to 30 years of possession-by-possession data, this offensive efficiency ties for the 15th best in history. Notably, the Rockets missed all six of their mid-range shots in that game yet still performed very efficiently.

Some of the Rockets’ current offensive numbers are clearly unsustainable over the long term. Their three-point shooting percentage stands at an NBA record 45.4%; among them, Eason, Sengun, and Okogie combined to hit 30 of 55 attempts from beyond the arc (54.5%), while their career average three-point percentage before this season was only 30.4%. However, the Rockets rely very little on three-pointers, with only 35.4% of their shots coming from beyond the arc, ranking 28th in the league.

Last week, Okogie replaced Adams in the starting lineup, and this new starting five outscored opponents by 22 points over 39 minutes of play, with just 19 out of 63 shots coming from three-point range (30%). Additionally, Sengun spent more than half of his minutes playing alongside Adams or Capela in a “two-big” lineup, which outperformed opponents by 29 points per 100 possessions during its time on the floor.

Upcoming schedule

The Rockets’ frontcourt will face an intriguing stretch on the road — they will play consecutive away games against the Spurs and Bucks, completing a three-game road trip. In their last 10 meetings with the Spurs, the Rockets have won 8 games, and during four matchups last season, they allowed only 105.1 points per 100 possessions to San Antonio.