It may be surprising to see the Houston Rockets this high on the power rankings since they have been among the worst teams in the NBA over the last three years. The Rockets have won 59 games since the start of the 2020 campaign. On a positive note, the Rockets have improved their win total each of the last two years. Houston won 22 games in 2022-23, tying the San Antonio Spurs for the second-fewest in the Association.
2023-24 NBA Power Rankings Off-season Edition: No. 24 Houston Rockets
In-Depth Analysis of Houston’s Young Talent
During these struggles, the Rockets have stockpiled assets and young talent. Houston has three top-5 picks and seven first-rounders over the last three years. Jalen Green and Jabari Smith— Houston’s lottery picks in 2021 and 2022 — are talented offensively but still have things to work on.
Amen Thompson, who was taken with the fourth pick in this year’s draft, is also highly talented, but he is only 20 and will need time to develop. Thompson was fantastic on both ends in his lone Summer League game before suffering a sprained ankle late in the contest. He compiled 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and 1-of-1 from the 3-point line, along with five assists. Thompson also grabbed four rebounds, three steals, and four blocks in 29 minutes against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Tari Eason had an excellent first year and joined Smith on the 2022-23 NBA second-team all-rookie squad. Meanwhile, Cam Whitmore, who fell in the draft to No. 20, was named the 2K24 Summer League MVP in July. Whitmore averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 steals while helping the Rockets reach the finals in Vegas. He posted one double-double and a shooting slash line of .447/.286/.625.
Adding Veterans
Houston spent most of their cap space on veterans to help the growth of their youngsters. The Rockets gave Fred VanVleet $128.5 million over three years. They traded for Dillon Brooks and inked free agents Jeff Green, Jock Landale, and Aaron Holiday to one-year deals. They also hired Ime Udoka to replace Stephen Silas as the top man on the bench.
As a result of these transactions, Houston begins at No. 24 in my power rankings.
Best Off-season Move: Signing Fred VanVleet
While it may appear that Houston overpaid for VanVleet, he is exactly the player that the Rockets needed. Only the first two years of VanVleet’s contract are guaranteed. The third year is a club option.
VanVleet will not only mentor the team’s youngsters but stabilize the point guard position as well. The 29-year-old checks most of the boxes that were major weaknesses for the Rockets. He is a fantastic ballhandler and distributor who is an above-average 3-point shooter. VanVleet is also solid defensively.
Worst Off-season Move: Trading For Dillon Brooks
Trading for Brooks was not necessarily a bad decision, but paying a player $86 million over four years–who probably wouldn’t get close to that much on the open market–is a questionable decision. The Rockets also gave up promising youngsters Kenyon Martin Jr and TyTy Washington, plus several future second-rounders as part of the deal.
Brooks is a “3-and-D” wing who was voted to the 2023 All-NBA Defensive Second Team this past season. While the 27-old tied his career-high with two threes last season, he knocked them down at a 32.6% clip. He is only a career 34.2% shooter from beyond the arc.
What’s Next For Houston: Add Another Center/Shooter
Houston has 13 players on standard contracts. The Rockets are over the salary cap but far below the luxury tax line. They do have some flexibility. Holiday’s contract is partially guaranteed, and they still have $1.7 million of their mid-level exception left.
Houston’s biggest need is a center. Alperen Sengun and Landale are the only centers on the roster. Sengun showed significant improvement in his second season and has solidified himself as the Rockets’ starting center. However, he played fewer than 30 minutes in over half of his 72 appearances, and fouling is an issue for the 21-year-old.
Landale is a veteran despite entering his third NBA year. He is excellent around the rim and an outstanding rebounder. The 27-year-old is coming off a solid season with the Phoenix Suns, averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 15 minutes over 69 games last year. Green can play in a small-ball situation. Smith also plays the five, while Jae-Sean Tate is an emergency option.
If the Rockets are happy with their center situation, they could use another shooter. Adding VanVleet, who has drained at least three 3-pointers a game the last three seasons, helps. But the Rockets ranked 28th in field goal percentage, 29th in 3-pointers made, and 30th in 3-point percentage.
The Rockets can hope that Whitmore and Smith develop into reliable shooters. So, we will have to wait to see what direction the Rockets go.
