After a season in which they went an equal Western Conference-worst 22-60, the Rockets return under the stewardship of newly-hired head coach Ime Udoka, some veteran offseason additions, and a fresh batch of rookies. In these previews, we will take a look at each team’s key acquisitions, fantasy stars, and predicted finish.
Key Acquisitions
Houston were among the busier teams this summer with the front office drafting rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore with first round picks before spending a combined $257.7 million on Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale and Jeff Green in free agency.
VanVleet, who was lured from Toronto on a three-year, $128 million deal, and Brooks, who agreed to a four-year, $86 million deal after an unceremonious end to his career in Memphis, are expected to slot into the starting five for Udoka on opening night.
VanVleet is coming off a season in which he averaged 19.3 ppg and 7.2 apg on 54.0 TS% in 69 starts for an underperforming Raptors squad.
An All-Star just two seasons ago and an NBA champion with Toronto in 2019, the 29-year-old brings a steady presence to a locker room in desperate need of one.
Brazen and unabashed, Brooks joins Houston fresh off a season in which he earnt NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team honours but was ranked 196th of 198 qualifying players in true shooting percentage.
In other words, Brooks’ stout frame and doggedness resulted in him proving a useful wing stopper but his near league-worst shooting numbers and oftentimes misguided chatter meant that the Grizzlies made the call to move on from him moments after their first round playoff exit.
As for the rookies, Thompson spent last season with Overtime Elite, a professional league based in Atlanta, before being selected by Houston with the fourth pick in this year’s draft whilst Villanova’s Whitmore fell to the Rockets at 20 despite projections pegging him in the high lottery.
Neither is projected to start from the outset but expect the duo to play a key role in the Rockets rebuild alongside the rest of the young core in Jalen Green, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason.
Fantasy Stars
VanVleet (20th overall, 10th PG) and Şengün (59th overall, 20th C) firm as Houston’s most likely fantasy contributors.
Over the past three seasons, VanVleet has averaged 19.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, and 6.8 apg shooting 36.1 per cent on 9.3 threes nightly.
Şengün, meanwhile, may be the team’s most intriguing piece with the former Turkish League MVP fresh off a sophomore year in which he averaged 14.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 3.9 apg on 59.9 TS%.
In the 32 games he played 30 or more minutes, those numbers jumped to 17.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, and 4.8 apg to go along with 1.1 bpg and 1.2 spg.
Projected Finish
The best-case scenario for this Rockets squad is probably a play-in berth but the most likely outcome appears to be a bottom-five record in the West.
Boasting the league’s second worst defence a year ago, the Rockets have a tonne of ground to make up on that end of the floor but the arrivals of Brooks and VanVleet as well as Udoka coupled with a Smith Jr. leap should improve their defensive base.
With the front office working to move on Kevin Porter Jr. as a result of offseason legal issues, several of their younger players will have the opportunity competes for minutes in the Rockets’ newly minted rotation.
Houston will be a better team than they were 12 months ago but the focus of the 2023-24 season is still firmly on development in H-Town.
