Houston’s Most Exciting Matchups Are in the Same Boat

The Houston Rockets are trying to establish themselves as an undisputed contender amongst the best teams in the league. The same could be said about some of their top rivals in the league.
Jan 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) attempts to control the ball away from Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) and guard Jalen Green (4) during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia (3) attempts to control the ball away from Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) and guard Jalen Green (4) during the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The league's rising young teams have spent the last few seasons jostling for relevance in the NBA. The Houston Rockets are just now entering the conversation as a team of note after several years near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. A few of their top rivals in the West already have spent some time near the top as the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies all have experience competing at the highest level. Those three teams and the Rockets are spending this season trying to prove they belong at the top.

Of all those teams, the Timberwolves have fallen the most from grace after making a major trade to remove one of their cornerstones: Karl-Anthony Towns.

Minnesota sits in eighth seed as they try to recreate their success from last season's Western Conference run. While they haven't found the consistency and chemistry they had last season, they still employ star guard Anthony Edwards. Edwards gives the Timberwolves a chance to win any game, and his performance for the rest of the season will determine if Minnesota is still a team capable of contending this year.

A team that has no questions on whether they'll contend this year is the Thunder, the West's No.1 seed. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a certified MVP candidate, and he leads a team that is good enough to be named along with the Boston Celtics as one of the most likely teams to make it to the Finals at the end of the season. Oklahoma City was in the conversation last season as well, but they suffered a disappointing loss to the Dallas Mavericks who eventually represented the Western Conference in the 2024 Finals.

The Thunder's rivalry with the Rockets has had some major moments for over a decade since the Thunder traded Houston a franchise-defining player in James Harden. Both teams are looking to add more signature playoff moments to their history as they rise to contention during the next era.

The Memphis Grizzlies are another team that is likely to butt heads with the Rockets in the impending future. Ja Morant is their team's top dog, and the rest of the roster follows his lead with his attitude and confidence. Memphis peaked with a second-round loss in 2022 against the eventual champion the Golden State Warriors.

Since then, the Grizzlies have dealt with several injuries to Morant and other key players on the roster. Memphis hopes to take advantage of their health this season to vault the team into the discussion with some of the league's best teams.

The Houston Rockets are just getting acclimated to having more expectations for their play. They've overtaken the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves as the young team to watch this season. While the Rockets don't have a clear superstar on the squad like some of their main rivals, they have a team construction that boasts high-quality depth. Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun lead the offensive efforts while Dillon Brooks and Amen Thompson set the tone defensively.

Their complementary abilities help create a varied offense and smothering defense. They've also been one of the healthiest teams in the NBA, with very few of its main rotation players suffering injuries.

Finishing this season as a higher seed than some of its fellow young teams might help Houston establish itself as the next up-and-coming team to watch. However, it won't be just enough to win this season as Houston will face each of these teams for years to come as they jostle for dominance in the Western Conference.


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Trenton Whiting
TRENTON WHITING

Trenton is a Houston-born, Pearland-raised University of Houston graduate who first developed his love for journalism while in school. He began his professional career as a sports reporter for a newspaper in Columbus, Texas, before becoming the managing editor.