With Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson at the forefront, the Houston Rockets have one of the most promising trios in the NBA. The likes of Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr. also bring tremendous upside to the franchise.
Despite the many weapons at Rockets head coach Ime Udoka’s disposal, the team has yet to convert its potential into significant team success. Last season, Houston finished as a fifth seed and was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Los Angeles Lakers.
There are hopes that Durant’s second year with the franchise leads to a deep playoff run, particularly with the Rockets’ young core continuing to raise their respective ceilings and VanVleet being anticipated to bring a sense of veteran leadership to the backcourt.
As signs continue to point to a breakthrough year for Houston, some might consider the team an under-the-radar contender to watch. In a recent episode of 7PM in Brooklyn, Carmelo Anthony expressed that he does not view the Rockets as a sleeper in the Western Conference.
“I don’t think Houston is a sleeper. They are supposed to be there. You got [Alperen] Sengun. You got [Fred] VanVleet. People were saying that Houston could win it.”
As alluded to by Anthony, the Rockets have the pieces to be considered a title-contending team. Durant is coming off an All-NBA Second Team selection, Sengun is coming off a second consecutive All-Star selection, and Thompson is coming off a top-10 finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, who met in the Western Conference Finals, have been projected to remain the juggernauts of the conference. It helps that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama are both playing at an MVP-caliber level.
After San Antonio and Oklahoma City, the Rockets should expect the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets to be mixed in at the top of the standings. This cluster of teams can be considered to be within the same tier as Houston.
In terms of sleeper teams, the Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks might sneak up the rankings. The Mavericks may benefit from the return of Kyrie Irving, while Stephen Curry could put the Warriors in a win-now mindset.
Overall, the Rockets have a lot of talent on the roster, but their status as middle-of-the-pack contenders in a tough conference can give them the label of being sleepers. The question is whether Houston can turn its proof of concept into a championship run.
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