The 2024-25 NBA season is here! We present the biggest questions, best- and worst-case scenarios, and fantasy predictions for all 30 teams. Enjoy!
Houston Rockets
End of year 2023–24
Off-season moves
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Enrichment: Steven Adams (well technically he got there in February but he never actually played), Reed Sheppard, Jack McVeigh, N'Faly Dante
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Subtraction: Reggie Bullock and Boban Marjanović
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Complete squad
The big question: Will Houston stay the course or make a splash?
The Rockets finished high in three categories in NBA.com's annual GM poll. They were the third most common answer to the question: “Which team has the most promising young core?” They also received votes for being the most improved team this season – no small feat considering them Just the number of wins increased from 22 to 41, the largest improvement in the NBA year-over-year.
Third — second best: “Which team's level of success this season is the most difficult to predict? – seems to be related to the other two. It depends on how many members of this “promising young core” make the jump… and on whether some prove promising enough to become tokens in exchange for the star that will send the rockets into orbit.
“We have high expectations,” owner Tilman Fertitta said. “But to be great, we have to grow up a little.”
These Rockets have seven players under the age of 24, including four of the top four picks and three lottery picks who have impressed – most notably Alperen Şengün, who is just scratching the surface of his talent and may already be Houston's best player:
Then there's veterans Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks – brought in last season to keep the Rockets respectable and for $65 million Ten season to make them winners.
“We have to focus on that – progress,” VanVleet said. “Not just making the playoffs, but advancing.”
At least for now they will have continuity on their side. The Rockets return a league-high 97% of minutes from last year's team, which made dramatic gains defensively under Ime Udoka and fielded a league-best seven offenses over the last 25 games. At the heart of that final kick: Jalen Green, and the tantalizing talent Who averaged 27.7 points per game on .613 true shooting in March as the Rockets climbed on and the push in the game wasn't enough.
To this already intriguing mix, Houston adds veteran mauler Adams, who will support Şengun, and third overall pick Sheppard, whose elite shooting, pick-and-roll game and magnet defense could deserve big minutes. Factor in the healthy return of chaos agent Tari Eason and more minutes for rising sophomore Cam Whitmore, and Udoka will have an awful lot of guys to manage – a group with a ton of room to grow that needs space to do so.
“I'm hopeful that this group of players can take the next step forward and at least the core that we have can stay together for a long time and be successful,” Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said recently. he told reporters. “It's definitely plan A.”
But the funny thing about the alphabet: it's something like: a plot liter po „A.”
The downside to this much depth: finding enough growth opportunities for everyone is a challenge. How will Udoka split ball-handling opportunities between the confident VanVleet and the younger Green, Thompson and Sheppard? How can he convince Şengun and Green, whose All-Star moments came at opposite ends of the season, to form an elite offense Together?
How will Udoka stack up against Brooks, Smith, Thompson, Whitmore and Eason at forward? How will he cope with the three-player center rotation of Şengun, Adams and Jock Landale, while also finding space for the Smith/Thompson small-ball lineups that boosted the offense towards the end of the season?
All these questions make Houston an obvious candidate for a consolidation deal. Add to that the fact that the Rockets also control more than enough seed money to enter trade talks for the next available star, and a significant deal seems like a “when not if” proposition.
But “when” matters because Houston might not quite be ready for a big swing. Neither Green nor Şengün have signed entry-level extensions yet; The Rockets may want to hold off on a deal with Şengün with the goal of keeping him lower on the roster for the 2025-2026 season. This would allow them to essentially tear down their books by declining VanVleet's $44.8 million team option, opening up nearly $69 million in cap space to go big game hunting before passing through the cap to recapture Şengün. (If this sounds familiar, it's because the 76ers just landed Paul George and made the most of Tyrese Maxey.)
But while that kind of patience may pay off, it remains to be seen whether Houston's decision-makers share that particular virtue – and whether they will remain focused on the long term even if the Rockets Do look like a legitimate postseason contender. All of this creates the impression that the series is approaching a tipping point: a lineup full of promise, but it also feels constructed to be deconstructed.
Best case scenario
Green's late-season shooting surge translates into a renewed and vibrant partnership with Şengün, earning both All-Star nods as Houston storms out of the gate. Sheppard is every bit the prospect he was touted to be, contributing on and off the ball on both ends of the court en route to Rookie of the Year honors. With young players developing, the offense improving and Udoka leading a top-five defense, Houston can stay dry and still make the playoffs by entering the summer with better players, better resources and an enviable number of options to build potential… be a contender to the title.
If everything falls apart
Nic pop young players from outside Şengün, giving Stone and Co. very little clarity on which pieces to bet on, while reducing their potential trading value. The offense continues to rank around the bottom ten, while the defense is back to league average – a recipe for a just under .500 team that is once again just shy of the play-in tournament. It's not a completely wasted year, but the Rockets feel much less confident that they're on the verge of something exciting when the season ends than they did at the start.
Spin fantasy
Şengün and VanVleet are Houston's top options, so expect them to be off the board early in the third round. Şengün was one of five players to average at least 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists last season. VanVleet's ADP remains at 38, but it seems low considering he has been ranked in the top 20 for four straight seasons.
Two of my biggest questions are about Green and Thompson. Green is a safe bet in points leagues because if he starts poorly, as he has in the past, his inefficiency won't hurt. However, I'm not convinced that the version of Green after All-Star last season will be consistent enough for category formats where Şengün will be healthy. As for Thompson, when will he break into the starting lineup? Amen's versatility on both sides is much more effective than Brooks' versatility. Be sure to prioritize Thompson in the 10th round. —Dan Tytus
2024–25 schedule
This is where I feel a little skittish – the phrase “progress isn't linear!” runs through my head like a freight train – but with so many young players showing signs of being real NBA players, with so many prospects and picks to beat, and with a coach and owner who really want to win immediatelyit seems that there may be both a large incentive to improve and multiple paths to improvement. Three consecutive wins sounds a bit steep, but also within the realm of possibility. Let's be optimistic and take control.
