It has been at least three years since the Houston Rockets have been looked at as “winners” regarding things on and off the court.
In order to bring relevance back to the team, the organization has a three-phase plan in place. After Thursday night’s 2023 NBA draft, they already appear to be winning the second phase.
In late 2020, phase one of their rebuild began with the departure of veteran superstars James Harden and Russell Westbrook. It also included the exit of general manager Daryl Morey, who was the architect of the extended playoff runs in the 2010s.
As the organization sees it, that phase ended in April 2023 after not renewing the contract former head coach Stephen Silas. At that time, the Rockets were coming off a third straight year with one of the NBA’s two worst records, which all resulted in high draft picks to bolster Houston’s stockpile of young talent and draft assets.
Phase two started in late April with a bang, as Houston hired former Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka after leading the Celtics to an NBA Finals appearance in his only season.
Udoka’s presence will be felt on the sidelines and in the locker room. The former NBA player and coach under San Antonio Spurs legend Gregg Popovich was heavily pursued by many teams for their head coaching vacancy during the 2023 playoffs..
The shift in dynamics, particularly when it came to hiring a coach that could help Houston’s young roster take that next step, could be considered a win for the franchise. If that is the case, general manager Rafael Stone should be preparing to take another victory lap.
According to most analysts, Houston was a big winner in Thursday’s draft after adding Amen Thompson at No. 4 overall from the Overtime Elite and Cam Whitmore at No. 20 out of Villanova.
“I think Houston has a lot of players that have great potential, and I think [we] have a scary future,” Thompson said.
Adding those pieces to a roster that consists of Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün, and Tari Eason makes Houston one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA.
“We are athletic,” Stone said with a smile during his post-draft press conference. “I think we can jump. So, I think we already were [athletic], and we doubled down. It is never a bad thing to be a hyper-athletic team, and I think we will be just that.”
The responsibility of making everything come together on the court to translate to wins will be left to Udoka and his staff. Stone has provided many key pieces to make the Rockets competitive next season, but he still needs to find veteran additions in free agency.
For owner Tilman Fertitta, phase three consists of playoff runs that will utlimately produce NBA titles — and as of now, it remains far too early for the Rockets to make a push at hanging another championship banner in Toyota Center.
But if the team develops as projected, they may need to think about an optimal parade route through the city in about five years.
