Where Do Houston Rockets Rank in the Southwest Division?

Before the regular season starts, the Houston Rockets are not expected to be playoff-bound but they might make some noise in an obsolete division.

The Houston Rockets share the southwest division with the Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans. Historically, the Pelicans and Grizzlies have been underperforming, allowing the three Texas teams to thrive.

The new-look Rockets are headlined by veteran talent like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, but the team undoubtedly belongs to Jalen Green, while Amen Thompson tries to break through. 

The Rockets and Spurs are the two teams rebuilding in the Division, while the other three franchises have firm identities built around All-Stars Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, and Zion Williamson.

After going all-in on Kyrie Irving, the Mavs are very much in win-now mode. The Grizzlies are one of the better regular season teams in the league, although they are without Morant for the first 25 games of the season. 

The Pelicans are an enigma, Zion Williamson is utterly dominant, but his motivation and health are always called into question.

Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after scoring a basket during the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Toyota Center / Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

It’s very safe to say that the Mavericks and Grizzlies will be better than the Rockets this year. All eyes are on San Antonio and Victor Wembanyama, but the Rockets have a bit of a head start, as their commitment to a rebuild started a season earlier. The Pelicans will be the real question.

Last season, they secured the ninth seed and an appearance in the NBA Play-In Tournament, despite Williamson missing the entire back end of the season. They were bounced by the Thunder in their lone game, and most fans expect Zion to lead the Pelicans to the playoffs.

However, health is a real issue. Until Williamson proves he can play a full season in the NBA, the Rockets could beat New Orleans out. 

In fact, since Houston doesn’t own a draft pick next season, the Rockets will be all-in on winning and development. While the Rockets won’t be around come the second round of the playoffs, they will be better than average in the southwest division.