RealGM

Our second 2025 Game 7, a tough-fought game where the Warriors displayed playoff grit to eliminate the Houston Rockets - they are the 22nd team eliminated this season.



Previous Threads:


Time of death: May 04, 2025
Record at elimination: 52-30 (3-4 in playoffs)
Head coach: Ime Ukoda

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/houston-rockets/yearly
Contract summary:
Fred VanVleet – extension eligible, or 45M TO
Dillon Brooks - extension eligible, or 2yr/40M remain
Steven Adams – UFA
Jalen Green – 3yr/105M remain, final year 36M PO
Jeff Green – UFA
Jock Landale - extension eligible, or 2yr/16M remain (both are non-guaranteed to some extent)
Alperen Sengun – 5yr/185M rookie extension begins next season (final year 39M PO)
Aaron Holiday – 4.9M TO


Rookie Scale/minimums (varies on 2-4 years remaining):
Reed Sheppard – 3yr remain
Jabari Smith Jr - extension eligible, or 12M QO
Amen Thompson – 2yr remain
Jae’Sean Tate – UFA
Tari Eason - extension eligible, or 5.5M QO
Cam Whitmore – 2yr remain
Jeenathan Williams – 3yr remain (non-guaranteed)


TW
N’faly Dante
Jack McVeigh

Dead-cap – 8M off the books this season, NONE retained next season

Capspace 2025: 1st apron (hard capped), have multiple extensions to address. will have limited space unless not picking up FVV's Team Option.

PICKS for 2025 draft:
PHX 1st
OKC 2nd

A SMALL SEASON REVIEW:
https://www.espn.com/nba/team/schedule/_/name/hou/seasontype/2


The Rockets improved significantly from last season, 11 more wins from the 23-24 regular season and the No. 2 seed [52-30 overall record] in the Western Conference. It was close in the end to get the second seed, as No. 3 and below had razor-thin margins, but the Rockets held on for critical wins to get home-court advantage through two rounds.

Unfortunately, the battle-tested and Jimmy Butler-era Warriors were the No. 7 seed and showed that playoff experience in full force during Game 7. The results ? An absolutely thrilling series for me! Yet the Rockets end their season at home, and enter an offseason to improve the roster, and use that playoff experience to be even better.

I don't think many predicted the Rockets to be No. 2 in the West, but they achieved substantial success on the defensive side. Many of its players performed admirably throughout the year. Jalen Green played every game and though showed his streaky shooting in the playoffs it has to be said he made big time contributions this year.

The player of note, for me, is Amen Thompson. He showcased a massive impact on both sides of the ball, but mostly defense, and surely has a huge future ahead of him. Brooks, Adams, and FVV were solid veterans for this squad and all have contract questions this offseason. Brooks could be extended, but is on a reasonable deal for his overall play. FVV has a big Team Option that HOU could decline, and use that money elsewhere. Adams, a solid veteran and positive locker room guy is entering UFA, where surely he will get interest from size-needy teams.

Also, Landale, Holiday, and Jeff Green could all be released or have their TO's not picked up, or their contracts non-guaranteed and the Rox clear even more cap holds, so safe to say this team should be in the mix for free agents, trades, and savvy cap usage over the summer.

With a couple of picks and still players of note on the bench (Whitmore, Sheppard), how do you rate this season for the H-town team, and where do you see them to improve in the offseason to continue the upward trajectory ?

Jalen Green for a better shooting vet would be the upgrade

Great season, lots of good young players, but desperately need to address the lack of reliable offensive talent.

How many times have the GSW beat the Rockets in the playoffs?

KD, you are a Houston Rocket.

Need to go get either Giannis, Booker, or KD in that preferred order.

Do we need to state the obvious? Trade Jalen Green

Dude, are these threads premade?

I don't know why I never realized that before.

Childs wrote:How many times have the GSW beat the Rockets in the playoffs?

Steph Era they are 5-0

This playoffs has shown that Amen Thompson is LEGIT. He's the real #2 on this team. Jump shot can be developed in the coming years. I'm a thompson twin believer after watching this series.

Trade Jalen Green. nothing more than a Poor man's lou Williams trapped in an athletic body.

Build around Thompson.

Start by moving Jalen Green and get some offers for Sengun by the deadline.

Dude can get you some regular season wins but he can't be your offense in the playoffs. At one point he was 8-23 mostly playing in the post against the Warriors guards. He had major issues against any contact in the paint and his touch was awful. For being a guy who can't shoot he can't score in the paint either.

Green isn't even worth discussing. He just needs to go. They have assets. They just need to retool.

*Sengun has a lot of value. I am not saying he is a bum, I just don't trust him and I would move him. He can get you something back.

EDIT: **That is of course if Houston wants to push their chips in with some stars (Giannis) who may be available in the next year or two. Who knows maybe he becomes a better shooter or gets stronger in the post. I forget how young this Rockets team is and this was literally their first step. They could go the full OKC route and grow into something, if they draft/trade for some shooting/scoring. Sengun was an All Star and could very well develop into a real scorer in this league. The guy I don't trust is Jalen Green.. and I had some really high hopes for him coming out of the draft.

They need more scoring threat, and more shooting specifically. What they have now won't carry them much farther forward. Amen Thompson is gonna pretty dangerous in a little while even if the never develops any more range, though.

They need to get Devin Booker. Let Phoenix rebuilt and you get a big time scorer that they desperately need with the defense they have. He fits their age timeline very well.

Trade picks back to Houston and whoever else to make it work. Don’t trade Thompson of course.

No early extension for either Jabari or Eason. They need to use this offseason to come on like gangbusters. Udoka has righted the ship. Franchise is clearly a playoff team. To take the next step, there has to be some sort of offensive identity. You have established that you have the dogs to defend. But scoring is still at a premium in the playoffs and in each of your losses, offense was putrid (except for Game 4).

If Sengun is going to be the offensive hub, he has to become an 80% free throw shooter. So many wasted possessions from him because you just know he has no confidence when he gets 15 feet from the rim.

Good riddance.

Welcome to cancun Houston. Lakers waiting for you.

Build around Amen as soon as possible.

you ain't going nowhere with knockoff jokic and that dude who paints his nails.

Green should either be starting on a rebuilding team or a bench gunner for a good team. He's in over his head as a 1st/2nd option perimeter scorer for a good team. Houston's also too reliant on Van Vleet. He's a good player but he shouldn't be that important. Sheppard improving into his 2nd year could help that.

Definitely feels like they need a 1st option, preferably a perimeter scoring 1st option, in order for everything else to fall into place.

Keep, keep, better, improving
They need a scorer and they need better shooting...

It sucks; the rockets were 4 fts made from a game 4 win and winning the series.

Jalen green has to go. He’s been awful and picking him over mobley, Wagner and Barnes looks awful by the day. Luckily he’s got a contract that isn’t too bad.

Build around Sengun and amen and you still got the phx picks as well. They got a bright future but they need more shooting

giberish wrote:Green should either be starting on a rebuilding team or a bench gunner for a good team. He's in over his head as a 1st/2nd option perimeter scorer for a good team. Houston's also too reliant on Van Vleet. He's a good player but he shouldn't be that important. Sheppard improving into his 2nd year could help that.

Definitely feels like they need a 1st option, preferably a perimeter scoring 1st option, in order for everything else to fall into place.

Im going as far as to say if Green is your bench gunner that bench ain't going anywhere. Dude is a putrid scorer period. He's going the clarkson route.

Another thing to note. If they could shoot their FTs they win this series. You can't afford to be this incompetent on that side of the court, idc how good you are on defense.