Rockets' Improving Roster Makes Them Dangerous

The Houston Rockets are only going to get better.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 19, 2024

Jan 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) attempts to keep control of the ball as Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have one of the youngest teams in the NBA, and after a 19-win improvement from the previous year, they also have one of the biggest risers in the league.

Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale pointed out how competitive they will get with a roster that is only going to get better as time goes on.

"Continued strides from Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore are a given. Jalen Green is at worse exactly who he was last season. He is at best closer to the player who torched the league once the calendar flipped to late February," Favale writes. "Tari Eason is a better health bill away from generating All-Defense buzz. If Jae'Sean Tate gets worse, it's likely because Houston doesn't have enough minutes to go around. Reed Sheppard could be a Rookie of the Year candidate if the Rockets play him enough."

With the Rockets only getting better, it makes them one of the teams most likely to go from the lottery to the postseason. There are a few teams in the Western Conference who could face a regression, and that would allow a team like Houston to sneak in and get back into the playoff picture for the first time since the COVID bubble at Walt Disney World in 2020.

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Published Aug 19, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.