NBA Expert Picks Houston Rockets to Exceed Expectations

In a season preview, John Hollinger of the Athletic listed the Houston Rockets as a team to exceed expectations.

After multiple losing seasons, the Houston Rockets are looking to win more games. Usually, when a team is headlined by two inefficient scorers like Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, the usual “we’re going to win this year” narrative gets old before the season starts.

However, this iteration of the Rockets is turning some heads, and the national media has started to pay attention to Houston for the first time since James Harden asked for a trade.

In a recent article, John Hollinger of the Athletic predicted that the Rockets will be one of five teams to exceed expectations. He posited three reasons for that: talent, coaching, and incentives. “Incentives” means that the Rockets owe the Thunder their draft pick in 2024 and will not be tanking.

Hollinger gave credit to VanVleet and Ime Udoka. He claims their arrivals will bring a system Houston has not had over the previous three years.

Hollinger was damning in his report of Houston’s recent past, claiming that Green and Kevin Porter Jr. “pound the ball into whatever shot they felt like, then [jog] back on defense while they wait to see how the three-on-one turns out.”

Jabari Smith Jr. seemed to finally arrive in the Summer League / © Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Under Udoka, that method of basketball will not be tolerated. Jabari Smith Jr. will be brought into the fold as a key player, and Green will simply have to adapt. 

With Amen Thompson and VanVleet willing and able to be the primary playmakers, this season will truly be sink or swim for Green, and the Rockets have options in case he fails.

However, failure for Green seems unlikely. He is one of the most athletic guards in the league and has hinted at wanting to win. Having veteran leadership from VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green will certainly be welcome, even if there are growing pains.

Hollinger neglected to mention a potential rocky start to the season. But after the first few weeks, all the kinks should be smoothed out, giving the Rockets a chance to compete.

The Rockets won’t be in the running for an NBA Finals appearance or even a deep playoff run yet. But no team in the league is going to consider Houston an easy win.