NBA Mid-Season Grades: Celtics standout; Warriors, Lakers receive failing marks

Houston Rockets

There may have been a point this season where the Houston Rockets legitimately deserved a better grade than a "C+" for their performance this year so far. However, with how they've regressed over the last few weeks, the Rockets are not in a great spot heading into the second half of the season. Right now, the Rockets are sitting outside the top 10 in the Western Conference standings and are officially in great danger of missing out on the playoffs entirely.

After the big win-now moves made by the team during the offseason, it would be a huge disappointment for the Rockets to miss the postseason. Houston signed Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks to rich deals during the offseason to avoid the exact type of season that is unraveling before Houston's eyes.

The Rockets have time to get their situation right but the early looks of things don't appear all that great. Houston wanted to skip a few steps in their rebuild and it could very well result in them having to take another step back next season. If Houston isn't careful, they could find themselves with a failing grade quicker than they realize.

Grade: C+