Paul Muth
What does the season hold for the Rockets? It all starts tonight
Oct 17, 2018, 2:53 pm
James Harden and the Rockets have big goals. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
If you blinked, you just missed the entire NBA off-season. But to be honest, if your only memories of the Rockets 2017-2018 campaign still center around their forgettable Western Conference Finals game seven exit, it's probably best that we push through to a brand new season and leave those 27 consecutive missed three-pointers in the past where they belong.
The Rockets’ new season kicks off tonight at the Toyota Center against the New Orleans Pelicans. Now there's probably a significant amount of people out there where that information is breaking news to. I get it. The Astros are probably your main focus at the moment, and rightfully so. Luckily for you, I've been thawed out from my basketball cryogenic stasis just in time to get your mind right for some sweet, sweet shooty hoops.
What happened last year?
The Rockets face-smushed the entire league, that's what. Led by the eventual league MVP James Harden and new running mate Chris Paul, Houston dismantled opposing teams with lights out shooting and improved focus on defense. They ripped off winning streaks of 10 or more games three separate times en route to the best regular season record in the NBA, the number one seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, and a franchise record for wins in a single season at 65. So yeah, they did ok.
The Rockets cruised past the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz in the first two rounds of the postseason, winning both series four games to one. Only then did they square off with the Golden State Warriors. Both teams traded wins in the first four games, but it was Houston who would come out on top in game five. It would come at a massive cost, as Paul would be lost to a hamstring injury for the remainder of the series. The depleted depth was too much for the Rockets to overcome and the Warriors came back to capture the series in game seven against an exhausted Houston team.
Key departures
As it turns out, the Rockets may have been too good for their own good. When you capture the best regular season record, other teams tend to look at who on the team helped you get there and wonder if they can help further their own interests.
Such was the case this off-season as long time Rocket Trevor Ariza was lured away by the Phoenix Suns with an offer Houston had no interest--or business for that matter--matching. Ariza's defense and ranged offense would be missed but it was assumed that backup small forward Luc Mbah a Moute would be able to step in and fill the role with minimal drop off.
That is, until Mbah a Moute bolted for the L.A. Clippers. Mbah a Moute had taken his one year minimum contract offered by General Manager Daryl Morey and successfully parlayed his 2017-2018 season’s performance into a bigger payday. Morey got great production for a bargain and Mbah a Moute earned a better contract. It was win-win. You can't argue with that, but now the Rockets were without a small forward.
Key additions
Morey quickly went to work to plug the suddenly gaping hole through a variety of moves. He started by initially signing defensive specialist James Ennis and followed that with an insanely low risk gamble by signing potential hall of famer, Carmelo Anthony, to a veteran's minimum deal. The two moves addressed the hole, and while it may not have brought back a perfectly identical return on talent compared to the previous season, it was certainly a savvy move in the right direction.
Then, just as everything had settled down, Morey waved his sabermetric wand and did what most deemed impossible: he found a trade partner willing to take on the $21 million dollar contract of Ryan Anderson, a three point shooting power forward who forgot how to shoot the ball from three point range. Not only that, but he received an above average backup point guard seeking a redemption season in Brandon Knight, and an uber athletic potential diamond in the rough with Marquese Chriss. In Morey we trust, ladies and gentlemen.
Three keys to look for
How will Carmelo Anthony be utilized?
Critics of the acquisition will cite his previous failure to work with head coach Mike D'Antoni in New York, as well as his on ball play style as reasons why the experiment won't work. These are probably the same people that said Chris Paul and James Harden wouldn't be able to productively share the court as well, and then the Rockets won 65 games. How Anthony is used remains the question. It's speculated that he will assume shooting guard Eric Gordon's sixth man spot, allowing him plenty of free reign on-ball to wreak havoc on opposing benches.
Which newcomer will stand out?
Brandon Knight has already proven to be a near all star caliber point guard when healthy, however that last part is a significant question mark. James Ennis will be a name to keep an eye on however as he frustrates opposing teams defensively. I'm most intrigued by the prospect of Marquese Chriss having a breakout year in part because of his ability to go up and get the ball, and Paul and Harden's ability to effectively find him cutting to the basket. Clint Capela made a living off of the alleyoop last season. It would be a lot of fun to watch another lob option develop.
Can the Rockets be competitive without pulling off a Jimmy Butler trade?
Yes, yes, a hundred times yes. The thought that the Rockets need Butler to win is a joke. Now acquiring another top 15 talent would obviously be welcome and improve their chances, but this is a well built, dangerous roster.
Predictions
This is going to be another fun season with one of the league's top offenses wreaking havoc on the league. The key will be health, but this a Rockets team that is built to throw offense at the opposition for 48 straight minutes until they crack.
I expect the Rockets to once again win the Southwest Division and vie for a top 3 seed in the Western Conference. Ultimately I anticipate a Western Conference Finals rematch with Golden State, provided everyone remains healthy.
Now comes what seems the perennial question every team asks: can they beat the Golden State Warriors? I'd like to say yes, but until I see it actually happen, you won't see me predicting anything otherwise. While it may get old watching the Warriors win title after title, keep in mind that you are witnessing quite possibly one of the greatest basketball teams ever assembled. But if there's any consolation to be had, it can be found in the fact that if there is any team in the west capable of playing spoiler to Golden State, it's the Houston Rockets.
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Astros keep doing this, and it’s getting hard to ignore
Jun 25, 2025, 10:01 pm
While the rolling Astros have a week of possible World Series preview matchups against the Phillies and Cubs, it’s the Rockets who made the biggest local sports headline with their acquisition of Kevin Durant. What a move! Of course there is risk involved in trading for a guy soon to turn 37 years old and who carries an injury history, but balancing risk vs. reward is a part of the game. This is a fabulous move for the Rockets. It’s understood that there are dissenters to this view. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, including people with the wrong opinion! Let’s dig in.
The Rockets had a wonderful season in winning 52 games before their disappointing first-round playoff loss to the Warriors, but like everyone else in the Western Conference, they were nowhere close to Oklahoma City’s caliber. While they finished second in the West, the Rockets only finished four games ahead of the play-in. That letting the stew simmer with further growth among their young players would yield true championship contention was no given for 2025-26 or beyond.
Kevin Durant is one of the 10 greatest offensive players the NBA has ever seen. Among his current contemporaries only Stephen Curry and Nikola Jokic make that list. For instance, Durant offensively has clearly been better than the late and legendary Kobe Bryant. To view it from a Houston perspective, Durant has been an indisputably greater offensive force than the amazing Hakeem Olajuwon. But this is not a nostalgia trip in which the Rockets are trading for a guy based on what he used to be. While Durant could hit the wall at any point, living in fear that it’s about to happen is no way to live because KD, approaching his 18th NBA season, is still an elite offensive player.
As to the durability concern, Durant played more games (62) this past season than did Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith, and Tari Eason. The season before he played more games (75) than did VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Alperen Sengun. In each of the last two seasons Durant averaged more minutes per game (36.9) than any Rocket. That was stupid and/or desperate of the Suns, the Rockets will be smarter. Not that the workload eroded Durant’s production or efficiency. Over the two seasons he averaged almost 27 points per game while shooting 52 percent from the floor, 42 percent from behind the three-point line, and 85 percent from the free throw line. Awesomeness. The Rockets made the leap to being a very good team despite a frankly crummy half-court offense. The Rockets ranked 21st among the 30 NBA teams in three-point percentage, and dead last in free throw percentage. Amen Thompson has an array of skills and looks poised to be a unique star. Alas, Thompson has no credible jump shot. VanVleet is not a creator, Smith has limited handle. Adding Durant directly addresses the Rockets’ most glaring weakness.
The price the Rockets paid was in the big picture, minimal, unless you think Jalen Green is going to become a bonafide star. Green is still just 23 years old and spectacular athletically, but nothing he has done over four pro seasons suggests he’s on the cusp of greatness. In no season has Green even shot the league average from the floor or from three. His defense has never been as good as it should be given his athleticism. Compared to some other two-guards who made the NBA move one year removed from high school, four seasons into his career Green is waaaaaay behind where Shae Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Devin Booker were four seasons in, and now well behind his draft classmate Cade Cunningham. Dillon Brooks was a solid pro in two seasons here and shot a career-best from three in 2024-2025, but he’s being replaced by Kevin Durant! In terms of the draft pick capital sent to Phoenix, five second round picks are essentially meaningless. The Rockets have multiple extra first round picks in the coming years. As for the sole first-rounder dealt away, whichever player the Rockets would have taken 10th Wednesday night would have been rather unlikely to crack the playing rotation.
VanVleet signs extension
Re-signing Fred VanVleet to a two-year, 50 million dollar guarantee is sensible. In a vacuum, VanVleet was substantially overpaid at the over 40 mil he made per season the last two. He’s a middle-of-the-pack starting point guard. But his professionalism and headiness brought major value to the Rockets’ kiddie corps while their payroll was otherwise very low. Ideally, Reed Sheppard makes a leap to look like an NBA lead guard in his second season, after a pretty much zippo of a rookie campaign. Sheppard is supposed to be a lights-out shooter. For the Rockets to max out, they need two sharpshooters on the court to balance Thompson’s presence.
For Astro-centric conversation, join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and me for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday. Click here to catch!
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