Early Power Rankings Show Rockets Haven't Won Over General Public

Is this a good or bad spot for the Rockets?

Mar 23, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; (from L-to-R) Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (9), Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) and Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) sit on the bench against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports / Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 offseason wasn't anything similar to last year's offseason, at least for the Houston Rockets. In fact, it's been quite the opposite.

Last year, the Rockets mad a major splash in free agency, shelling out over $200 million to Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, while also making Ime Udoka the highest-paid coach in team history. This offseason, the Rockets weren't active in free agency, as they largely decided to run it back with the same roster from last season.

The latest power rankings by The Sporting News makes it clear that the Rockets haven't quite won over the masses. The Rockets came in 20th- just one spot ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and one spot behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who also had an uneventful offseason (outside of the 2024 NBA Draft).

The writer, Stephen Noh, gave his reasoning.

"The Rockets drafted one of the most NBA-ready shooters at the college level in Reed Sheppard. They got a free look at AJ Griffin thanks to the tax avoidance strategies of the Hawks. They haven't done much else to change their team, but their young players should get a little better."

The Rockets were placed in the tier of 'Fringe Playoff Teams', joining the Golden State Warriors (17th), Sacramento Kings (18th), Lakers, and Spurs.

If the Rockets are going to take a leap this season, it'll clearly be because Jalen Green takes a leap and becomes a more consistent go-to scorer. In other words, if Green is able to play the entire season like he did in the month of March (27.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists), rather than the slow starts that have plagued him essentially every year, the Rockets will have a much greater chance of making the playoffs, as he still has arguably the highest upside on the roster.

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