After finishing 11th in the West last year, the Houston Rockets are considered underdogs to make a run in the West this season. But according to team owner/governor Tilman Fertitta, his team is poised to have a major rise in the standings due to what Fertitta says is one of the deepest rosters in the league.
“There’s no deeper team in the NBA than us,” he told reporters on Tuesday. “We’re expecting a great year.”
Fertitta, CEO of Landry’s, Inc., has been the majority owner of the Rockets since 2017 when he initially bought the team. While his stint has been relatively short, the Rockets have seen a lot of success under his watch, including in 2018 when his Rockets took the Warriors to seven games in the West Finals.
While the Rockets lost that series, nothing can take away their status as a storied NBA franchise with a rich history of star power and success. Dating back to the days of Hakeem Olajuwon, many all-time players have joined their ranks, including James Harden, Tracy McGrady, and Yao Ming. In 1994 and 1995, they went back-to-back for the first and last time in Rockets franchise history and they’ve been a consistent playoff presence ever since.
Recently, following the departure of James Harden, the Rockets fell on hard times and it has taken them years to recover. After finishing near the bottom of the West several years running, Houston was able to accumulate young players and draft picks in hopes of acquiring a generational talent who can take them to the next level.
Going into this new season, the Rockets still don’t have their signature superstar but they are hoping that one of their many young players can have a breakout season and develop into one. Besides young and athletic forward Jalen Green, the Rockets can also look to Alperen Shengun to take a sizeable leap this season. The 22-year-old averaged 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game last season.
There’s also Jabari Smith Jr., a former 3rd overall pick who has made great strides since entering the league. If one or all of those young players take a step up this season, the Rockets will be tough to handle and they should be able to secure a top-6 seed in the West.
Their success will also depend on what help they receive from the supporting cast. After signing trusted veterans like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets expanded their arsenal with experienced leaders who can set a proper tone for the young guys.
There’s also young point guard Amen Thompson who, admittedly, is a bit of a wild card this season. After averaging 9.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game on 53.6% shooting last season, he’s expected to be an essential part of the rotation in 2025.
It remains to be seen if the Rockets can keep pace with teams like the Mavericks, Nuggets, Thunder, and Timberwolves, but they clearly have confidence in their chances this season and you can’t ignore the optimism with a roster of that caliber.
Only time will tell how it all comes together for this squad, but with so much talent on the roster don’t be surprised if the Rockets make a run this campaign and prove themselves as legitimate threat in the NBA title race.
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