Rockets in Search of First Playoffs Berth in Years

Houston hasn’t made the Playoffs since James Harden frequented the roster. But that could change next season.

Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) drives with the ball as Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) defends during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

For years, the Houston Rockets were mainstays in the NBA Playoffs.

Headlined by superstar James Harden and numerous co-stars, the Rockets were able to muster the strength to make the Playoffs year in and out, twice making it to the Western Conference Finals.

In the last four years, though, the team has missed out on the postseason. At its lowest, winning a combined 59 games across three seasons, yielding four top-four picks across as many drafts.

Now, the team is primed to make a run at the 2024-25 NBA Playoffs.

The upside of losing games at a historic rate was indeed the addition of top draft picks, which yielded players like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard, in addition to solid late selections like Alperen Sengun, Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason.

Even better, the team’s roster spots being taken by rookie contracts paved the way for the team to add impactful veterans in Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks in free agency.

Now, the Rockets own one of the more talented up-and-coming rosters in the league, and it’s finally ready to unleash it with Ime Udoka at the helm.

It won’t be easy, as the Western Conference will be a gauntlet, led by teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and more. But the Rockets have positioned themselves to be firmly in play for a lower seed or Play-In berth for the first time in years.

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