The Rockets have dropped to eighth in USA Today's recent power rankings, and the reason is clear to anyone who's been watching.
The Houston Rockets have dropped two games to categorically inferior opponents in the past week: the New Orleans Pelicans and the Sacramento Kings. As a result, they now sit at 17-9 and the sixth seed in the Western Conference.
For a team with hopes of rivaling the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets for a top seed, it goes without saying that these types of losses cannot happen.