CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES

Exclusive: Kenny Smith discusses why he believes the Rockets can make a championship run

Exclusive: Kenny Smith discusses why he believes the Rockets can make a championship run
Composite image by Jack Brame.

The Houston Rockets haven't played a regular-season game since March 10th. The NBA season was suspended a day later so Rockets fans have had to wait for months for the opportunity to watch their team attempt to go on a championship run.

The question for the Rockets is simple though: Are they good enough to go on a run and contend with the other top teams in the Western Conference?

2x NBA Champion with the Rockets and one of the hosts of Inside the NBA on TNT, Kenny "The Jet" Smith joined SportsMap Radio on The Jake Asman Show and said he believes in the Rockets chances of contending for a title because of the superstar power Houston has with both James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

"This is what Mike D'Antoni envisioned. If he could pick a team, I think he would pick James Harden and Russell Westbrook to run it. The Rockets have the best players on a nightly basis at their positions. Nobody is going to have a better point guard and shooting guard than those two guys. They are always going to have the advantage."

A question that surrounds the Rockets entering the NBA's re-start is the impact that the long layoff and built-in practice time will have on the team's performance? Smith believes that the time off will help the Houston roster gel together after Rockets GM Daryl Morey made several bold moves at the trading deadline to go all-in on playing small-ball.

"I think the layoff also gives players an opportunity to reflect on what they need to do. This is the best team that they could ensemble to play that style."

When asked about his fondest memories of winning two championships with the Rockets, Smith said being part of the cities first-ever championship teams is something that he will never forget.

"Being the first Houston professional franchise to win a championship, I think that is what you remember the most. To be able to unite a city in a different way, to change the name to 'Clutch City' instead of 'Choke City' that to me is probably the most fun."


You can listen to The Jake Asman Show weekdays from 8 AM -10 AM Central on SportsMap Radio.

You can listen to the full interview with Kenny Smith below:

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The Texans are the class of the division. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

The Houston Texans received a lot of praise for their moves in free agency across various outlets. And for good reason, most people believe the team got significantly better with the additions of Danielle Hunter, Azeez Al-Shaair, and Denico Autry among others.

But there's another factor to consider this offseason. How much have the other teams in the AFC South improved?

When looking at the PFF grades in free agency, the Colts received a B-minus. Most of the Colts moves this offseason involved spending a lot of money re-signing their own players. Which is great in theory, but it's hard to improve the overall quality of your roster when you're bringing back players that were already there to begin with. A lot will be riding on player development for the Colts to see a big jump this season. A healthy quarterback wouldn't hurt either.

The Jaguars have made some big additions financially this offseason by signing receiver Gabe Davis and defensive tackle Arik Armstead. They also lost the top receiver on the market, Calvin Ridley, to the Titans. Gabe Davis wasn't able to establish himself as a reliable No. 2 receiver with Josh Allen throwing him the ball in Buffalo. So it's hard to believe he'll take the next step in Jacksonville. Their best move of the offseason might have been retaining edge rusher Josh Allen by using the franchise tag on him. So what did PFF think of Jacksonville's offseason? They received a B-minus, just like the Colts.

The Titans have a lot of turnover heading into the 2024 season, and not just on the roster. They have a new head coach in Brian Callahan, who's looking to revamp Tennessee's offense. Early in free agency, they agreed to terms with former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, signing him to a 3-year deal at $8 million per season. Which is more money than the Ravens are paying for Derrick Henry, who left the Titans in free agency. Calvin Ridley was the most notable addition to the squad, he received a 4-year, $92 million deal. And while this could be viewed as an overpay, at least he gives the Titans' offense some upside. Their receiving corps looks a lot more dangerous with Ridley added to DeAndre Hopkins and Treylon Burks.

They also spent big at the center position, adding Lloyd Cushenberry on a 4-year, $50 million contract.

Because the Titans spent a lot of money on some highly coveted players, PFF gave them a B.

Now that brings us to the Texans. The Texans re-signed some of their own players like Dalton Schultz and Noah Brown. But they also made some big splashes with Hunter, Autry, Al-Shaair, and Joe Mixon. But the Texans spent their money in a more conservative way by not handing out many contracts over two years in length.

The Texans managed to add the best pass rusher in free agency with Hunter, but it's only a two-year deal. The overall talent level is going up on this roster, and GM Nick Caserio isn't having to sign players to long contracts that could come back and haunt him.

That's why we're seeing post-free agency power rankings coming out with Houston in the Top 10. And that's also why PFF gave the Texans an A for their moves in free agency.

Be sure to check out the video above as Craig from Sports Talk Extra takes an in-depth look at PFF's grades for the AFC South, and much more!

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