When Steven Adams’ season ended on January 18 against the Pelicans, the outlook was bleak- for anyone rooting for Houston, anyway. Clean assumption: the Rockets are going to miss this guy.

Adams brought physicality, elite screening, and offensive rebounding and more to the table every night. Even scarier, he filled those valuable minutes Alperen Sengun needed to rest without the Rockets sacrificing size.

Before his season ended, Adams was averaging 5.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists while shooting at a 50.4-percent clip. On top of that, he was pulling down 4.5 offensive rebounds per game, gifting Houston extra possessions on a nightly basis.

Without their veteran center rotation piece suiting up, the Rockets’ future didn’t look as bright as it had before the New Year. The defense apparently didn’t get the memo.

From the end of Adams’ season through the rest of the year, Houston posted a 112.4 defensive rating, good for the sixth-best mark in the NBA during that stretch. After the All-Star break, things got even better.

The Rockets went 19-10 over their final 29 games while posting a 107.4 defensive rating, the third-best figure in the league. Their offensive rating improved from 117.0 before the break to 118.4 afterward, all while their net rating climbed from +5.0 to +6.0.

The improvements weren’t limited to the standings, either.

Houston’s assist percentage jumped from 58-percent before the All-Star break to 61-percent afterward. The pace increased, the offense became more efficient, and the defense? Even stingier.

Nobody was celebrating when Adams got hurt. The expectation was that Houston might take a slide backwards. Instead, they not only proved they could survive with their most physical big, but that they’re capable of quick pivots and adaptation.

Whether or not they could thrive without him in a playoff series turned out to be a different question entirely.