NBA Says Rockets Not Contenders Despite Durant

Merlin sees the Rockets’ shine dulling as league voices question their championship bonafides. On Get Up, Shams Charania said the Rockets are "not viewed as a legitimate title contender." Houston has been about .500 over six weeks, 10-9 since Feb. 4, and slipped from a top net rating to 16th. Losing Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams for the season, plus recent absences by Alperen Şengün, has exposed offensive holes and a brutal fourth-quarter net rating of minus 9.9. Merlin knows Kevin Durant is still a force, yet a missing, steady No. 2 scorer and late-game breakdowns make the Rockets feel fragile. Coach Udoka and a favorable schedule give time to mend, but the club must find consistent scoring and defensive grit or risk falling in the West.