Houston Rockets are Not Ready to Win in 2023-24 Despite Additions

After adding Ime Udoka, Fred VanVleet, and Dillion Brooks, the Houston Rockets are poised to have a successful season in every regard... aside from wins.

 For the last three seasons, the Houston Rockets have been the worst team in the Western Conference. That is pitiful, to say the least, but the Rockets added Fred VanVleet, Dillion Brooks, and head coach Ime Udoka in an attempt to get their young core some leadership as they push forward. There is a lot to be excited about: Jalen Green is poised to break out, Amen Thompson is already turning heads, and Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Şengün are two players to watch.

But fans shouldn’t get ahead of themselves.

Sure, the 2008 Celtics won 66 games after only winning 24 the season prior, but they added Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett, and got Paul Pierce back after only playing 47 games the year prior. VanVleet and Brooks are not on that Hall-of-Fame level. The Rockets are building something special, and that usually takes a few years.

Jabari Smith Jr. rises up for a jump shot.  / © Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent BleacherReport article, it was posited that the additions of VanVleet and Brooks will mean more wins. I’m no mathematician, but numbers suggest that the Rockets will win more than 22 games next season by nature of experience, with or without their new vets.

The Rockets are expected to win just over 30 games next season, which is a substantial jump, but as with any rebuild, things need to be looked at from afar. At absolute best, this iteration of the Rockets is a play-in team, and that’s being generous. It will take Udoka most of the season to get the discipline issues that got Stephan Silas fired under control, and adding two possible starters almost always comes with an adjustment period.

The 2023-24 Rockets are not meant to be good. They are meant to be better than last year, figure some things out, develop as a team, and chart a path going forward. Last season, despite having two recent top-three picks playing in the starting five, the Rockets looked lost. This season, as long as they find their bearings, fans can call it a success. Forget about wins, just avoid absolute catastrophe.