The Houston Rockets look like the second-best team in the NBA ahead of the 2025-26 season. That's a place that's all too familiar for them.
Recall the James Harden era. The Rockets were never the best team in the NBA, but during the 2017-18 season, they were awfully close.
The Rockets went 65-17. That was the best record in the league. Their astonishing +8.7 Net Rating was also league-best. The Rockets were a buzzsaw. They were formidable enough to press anybody.
Yet, it never quite felt like the Rockets were the best team, did it?