Why Rockets Shouldn't Tank as Playoff Hopes Dwindle

The Houston Rockets are currently out of the Western Conference playoff picture.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 28, 2024

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Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are currently on the outside looking in of the Play-In Tournament, but as the season comes to a close, the team should still look at trying to win as many games as possible.

The biggest reason behind this is the fact that the Rockets owe the Oklahoma City Thunder their first-round pick for the 2024 NBA Draft, as long as the selection stays out of the top four.

Amen Thompson — Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

In 2021, the same scenario was on the table, but the Rockets had far less talent than they do now. As of today, the Rockets' pick has about a 17 percent chance of landing in the top four. Those aren't great odds, but they have a chance to improve if the Rockets lose more games.

The team sits just five or so games back of the Memphis Grizzlies, who currently hold the sixth-best odds at the No. 1 pick. However, the chances of that pick moving into the top four sits at just over 37 percent.

Either way, it's highly unlikely that the Rockets will keep their pick this year, which means they should try their best to win as much as possible. If that puts them in the Play-In Tournament, cool. If not, there's always next year.

"There's a debate to be had about how much a team should concern itself with the quality of the pick it's sending out," Bleacher Report writes. "It certainly feels worse to surrender a selection that lands in the top three, or even first overall, but the pick is gone either way."

NBA Draft: Rockets to Address Shooting?

The Rockets are back in action tomorrow night against the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT.

Published Feb 28, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.