The Houston Rockets have quickly climbed to the top of the Western Conference standings with a 5-0 record. This hot start comes after the Rockets suffered a first-round playoff exit to the Los Angeles Lakers back in April.

While the Rockets made a few additions to the roster over the summer, one key factor is the return of Fred VanVleet to Houston’s starting lineup. VanVleet was sidelined for the entirety of last season with an ACL injury, significantly impacting the franchise’s point guard depth.

Heading into November, the Rockets have made a strong case as title contenders. In a recent appearance on Road Trippin’, VanVleet expressed that he is focused on building championship habits rather than focusing on the goal itself.

“I think last year proved not to get ahead of yourself. We had a little bit of frontrunner energy last year. When adversity hit, we never really recovered from that. We was trying to scramble and figure it out. I think this year is more so back to the basics, stick to the details, day in, day out. Can you have championship habits versus ‘let’s focus on winning a championship’? Let’s just focus on having championship habits every day.”

Veteran Presence

This season, VanVleet is averaging 12.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. While his scoring volume has steadily decreased from year to year, the 32-year-old guard is noted for his court vision, defensive prowess, and veteran leadership.

With Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Jabari Smith Jr. all scoring upward of 15 points per game, VanVleet’s role as a floor general and facilitator has translated clearly to team success early on. There is an argument to be made that Reed Sheppard should be in the conversation for a rotational promotion, though VanVleet is currently a safer bet for a playoff-hopeful Rockets team.

As suggested by VanVleet’s comments, the real test will come once the Rockets face adversity during the 82-game regular season. There are minor injury concerns heading into Friday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, especially up front, but the franchise is still in a favorable position.

Overall, the early sample size from VanVleet and other members of the Rockets lineup should raise optimism heading into November. The Rockets remain one of the two NBA teams yet to take their first loss of the new season, and their winning streak could very well extend in the coming weeks.