A lot of nothing new as Houston is betting on continuity.
After a breakout 2023-24 season that saw Houston break away from losing records after three seasons in the red, the Rockets will try to take another step forward and move from mediocrity (last year’s 41-41 record) into a winning campaign, their first one since the 2020 Bubble season.
It’s all about continuity in Houston. The Rockets are armed with a promising young roster and some semi-veteran leadership, as well as a game-changing coach in Ime Udoka who finally (not quite, but almost) brought Houston out of the murky losing waters of the NBA.
The postseason push is a must this season for the Texas-based club.
Rockets’ 2023-24 Record: 41-41, 11th in the Western Conference. That’s… good, I guess? Coming off three seasons failing to win more than 22 games, ending with nearly twice as many victories was a legitimate triumph for the Rockets. Alperen Sengun is expected to evolve into a standout center—if he’s not one already— anchoring a team that surprised many by winning 41 games last year. The Rockets’ front office is banking on internal growth from players like Sengun, Jalen Green, and Jabari Smith Jr., along with established veterans Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and still-to-debut-for-them Steven Adams as the group keeps organically growing toward playing spring-and-summer basketball.
Knicks’ record against Houston last season: 1-1
- January 17, 2023, vs HOU: Knicks won 109-94
- February 12, 2024, @ HOU: Knicks lost 103-105
The Knicks dominated the Rockets inside Madison Square Garden with Jalen Brunson making his return to the lineup after missing two games. He dumped 30 on Houston, which New York paired with a 31-point Julius Randle outing.
JR went home with the highlight of the day, making a smooth, spinning, no-look pass to OG Anunoby, who finished the action with a dunk. JR to OG, you read that right. Those were the days, man…
Yes. This was that game. Nuff said.
Rockets’ offseason moves:
In: Steven Adams*
Out: Reggie Bullock, Boban Marjanovic, A.J. Griffin
Rockets Projected Depth Chart:
PG: Fred VanVleet / Amen Thompson / Aaron Holiday
SG: Jalen Green / Reed Sheppard
SF: Dillon Brooks / Cam Whitmore
PF: Jabari Smith Jr. / Tari Eason / Jeff Green
C: Alperen Sengun / Steven Adams / Jock Landale
The new Rockets are pretty much the same old Rockets from last season barring the shocking retirement of Griffin and the fake addition of Adams, acquired last season but who has yet to play for Houston.
That’s not necessarily bad, mind you, because the core was already strong and mostly young with FVV and Brooks the only two starters having more than six years of experience entering next season, and only Uncle Jeff being older than Adams’ 31 years old.
The growth is organic here with Green becoming the bucket experts project him to turn into down the road, Jabari slowly-but-surely finding his footing, and Sengun a legitimate threat who’s just getting started.
Solid five, dubious bench.
Knicks / Rockets 2024-25 Schedule:
- Monday, Nov. 4, 2024: Knicks at Rockets, 8:45 PM ET
- Monday, Feb. 3, 2025: Rockets at Knicks, 7:30 PM ET
Knicks’ projected record against Houston this season: 1-1
The Rockets are going to be a tough out. I just can’t go and predict an 0-2 series outcome here because the Knicks are levels above Houston—that’s even without Mitchell Robinson—but the absence of our beloved Country Boy might be all the Rockets need to snatch an early-season win against the Manhattanites as they host them in November.
Last season’s 1-1 record against Houston should have been a 2-0 for our dudes, but the NBA wasn’t for it. Maybe this is the year they try to fix their wrongs and help New York a bit instead of the other way around.
Anyway the combination of Dillon the Villain, Sengun, FVV, and Green should make for a couple of fun matchups