The Houston Rockets enter the 2026-27 season with championship expectations, but franchise legend Ralph Sampson believes their ability to stay healthy will determine whether they can seriously contend for a third NBA title.
Speaking to Kyle Odegard of Action Network, Sampson pointed to health as Houston’s biggest concern following an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign.
“We'll see if they get healthy. If they do, I think they can compete, but you've got to be healthy,” Sampson said.
The issue became particularly apparent last season. Fred VanVleet missed the entire campaign after suffering a torn ACL before the season, while Steven Adams underwent surgery on his left ankle in January and missed the remainder of the year.
Kevin Durant also battled injuries. The Rockets star missed a February game with a sprained left ankle before injuries significantly limited him during Houston’s first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant missed Game 1 with a bruised right knee and later suffered another left ankle sprain in Game 2, ultimately appearing in only one game during the six-game series.
The Lakers advanced despite dealing with injury issues of their own, including Luka Doncic's hamstring strain and Austin Reaves' oblique injury during the series.
Article Continues BelowHouston has since added more veteran depth around Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. The Rockets signed former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart to a two-year, $13 million contract after he spent last season with the Lakers. Smart averaged 14.7 points, 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals against Houston during the first round.
With a deeper roster in place, Sampson believes Houston has enough talent to compete for a championship. His concern remains whether the Rockets can keep that talent available when the postseason arrives.