Rockets Predicted to Make Playoffs in Crowded Western Conference

Will their postseason drought end this year?

Apr 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka coaches against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The NBA's Western Conference is an absolute  bloodbath. It always has been.

And it's gotten more competitive over the years, so much so that the Houston Rockets missed the play-in tournament last season, despite finishing .500.

If the franchise would've been able to pull off the feat, it would've been their first time reaching the playoffs since 2020.

This season, however, the Rockets could actually snap their postseason streak. At least, depending on who you ask.

Case in point, Christopher Kline, FanSided's senior NBA writer, who made a rather bold claim.

"I am absolutely sincere when I say that the Rockets are going to the playoffs in 2025. It's too early to know which team will falter above them — perhaps the injury-rattled Clippers, or the cheapskate Lakers — but Houston doesn't even need a team to fall off the map. The Rockets are more than capable of actively passing a few teams on their own.

A cursory glance at the Rockets' roster might lead one to say 'they need a few more years,' or 'who is the All-Star on this supposed contender?' The answer to the latter question is Alperen Sengun, who reached those heights last season but was snubbed by voters. As for the first comment from the made-up skeptics, well, no. The Rockets don't need time. They just need health and perhaps a little bit of luck.

Houston is not without a veteran leadership apparatus. Fred VanVleet is one of the steadiest hands in the NBA, providing Houston's offense with a rock-solid floor. Dillon Brooks, for all of his incessant blustering, is a good culture piece and a productive member of the Rockets starting lineup. Meanwhile, Udoka has proven himself as one of the game's sharpest minds. He runs incredible stuff offensively and he steered Houston to a top-10 defense despite a young roster and no traditional rim protector in the middle.

As far as Houston's youth, look no further than OKC for proof that inexperience does not prevent a team from contending at the highest level. The Rockets don't have their version of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a bonafide MVP candidate, but there isn't a deeper team in the West when it comes to youth and upside."

Rockets fans would certainly love for Kline's prediction to come true, as the rebuild yielded a fairly gloomy state of affairs. However, things are certainly on the up-and-up.

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