Houston are LEGIT!!!

[zimpy27]

Amen looks legit legit, MVP level potential.

[Sane]

A deep, well-coached team fueled by effort, defense, and rebounding. I could see Houston going on a 2013 Memphis type of run in the postseason. A subpar half-court and first-chance offense will be its undoing.

Try us in the subpar halfcourt with our elite scorer/passer in the paint Sengun. If you think that's how you're beating us, you forgot how we built this thing.

As far as experience, we have more playoff experience at backup PF than the entire OKC roster had last season. We have Udoka (champion), FVV (champion), Jeff Green (Champion), Brooks and Adams with deep playoff runs. It's not a comparable situation, Thunder had almost no playoff experience and thought it wouldn't matter. We built it correctly from the start.

So let me get this straight, you think your team is better built for the playoffs than last year's OKC squad. That means your expectation for the Rockets this season is WCF minimum, right?

I mean, you gotta advance one more round than OKC did last season if you think Rockets have approached the situation in a better way.

Not at all, you're confusing being more experienced with being more talented. Style won't trump talent that easily. I think we will overachieve because we are the most rugged team in the NBA and we're very used to grinding out games. That's why our record against good teams is good. We also have very well placed high quality veterans on the roster and a coach who has been to the Finals as a coach and won a championship as a player.

Udoka is definitely obsessed with treating everything as though it's the playoffs. It's not a coincidence he picked these vets.

[Sane]

A deep, well-coached team fueled by effort, defense, and rebounding. I could see Houston going on a 2013 Memphis type of run in the postseason. A subpar half-court and first-chance offense will be its undoing.

Try us in the subpar halfcourt with our elite scorer/passer in the paint Sengun. If you think that's how you're beating us, you forgot how we built this thing.

As far as experience, we have more playoff experience at backup PF than the entire OKC roster had last season. We have Udoka (champion), FVV (champion), Jeff Green (Champion), Brooks and Adams with deep playoff runs. It's not a comparable situation, Thunder had almost no playoff experience and thought it wouldn't matter. We built it correctly from the start.

Sengun, amen, and green have zero playoff experience, with the oldest of them currently 22 yrs old. Okc had 3 starters with zero playoff experience as well. Hou does have experienced guys which helped the rebuild immensely but is it enough this postseason to offset multiple big minute starters who are 3 of your top 4 offensive options not having any at all?

But looking at their conference, I wouldnt be surprised if they made wcf.

Discussed in the previous post. No the vets don't make us a veteran team but it's certainly a boost. The young guys will have someone to lean on.

[Eightnineborn]

Amen Thompson is a beast… could be mvp player in 2 years

[Frankie]

Amen Thompson is a beast… could be mvp player in 2 years

He is the f-ing truth.

[lethalizer]

Try us in the subpar halfcourt with our elite scorer/passer in the paint Sengun. If you think that's how you're beating us, you forgot how we built this thing.

As far as experience, we have more playoff experience at backup PF than the entire OKC roster had last season. We have Udoka (champion), FVV (champion), Jeff Green (Champion), Brooks and Adams with deep playoff runs. It's not a comparable situation, Thunder had almost no playoff experience and thought it wouldn't matter. We built it correctly from the start.

So let me get this straight, you think your team is better built for the playoffs than last year's OKC squad. That means your expectation for the Rockets this season is WCF minimum, right?

I mean, you gotta advance one more round than OKC did last season if you think Rockets have approached the situation in a better way.

Not at all, you're confusing being more experienced with being more talented. Style won't trump talent that easily. I think we will overachieve because we are the most rugged team in the NBA and we're very used to grinding out games. That's why our record against good teams is good. We also have very well placed high quality veterans on the roster and a coach who has been to the Finals as a coach and won a championship as a player.

Udoka is definitely obsessed with treating everything as though it's the playoffs. It's not a coincidence he picked these vets.

The choice of words being "being built correctly from the start" lead me to think you had high expectations of this team, after the clarification I get what you mean.

Eh, somewhat disagree. OKC preseason win odds sat at 44.5 or so before last season started. They were seen as a middle of the pack playoff team. They overexceeded their expectations as far as regular season goes, and advanced a round. Presti tried bringing in experience at the deadline in the form of one Gordon Hayward, yet he flamed out. With the cap space he cleared, he went on and got two vets, one with championship experience.

I don't think what OKC did was "less correct". They just approached the situation differently.

[tsherkin]

Decent offense, but remarkable defense.

I'm always surprised when teams are able to succeed with a sinkhole like FVV in the starting lineup, especially when they blow overall from 3 as a team (and really at hitting shots in general). But they crush the offensive glass, don't turn it over and are monsters on the other end.

They're going to be interesting over the remainder of the season.

[Ssj16]

What Houston is doing is remarkable but without serious playoff experience from their young bucks, I don't see them going too far in the playoffs this year. There are too many examples of this including OKC and Memphis in the last several years. Regular season is vastly different from the post season.

That being said, they look like they have a promising future if they stay on this trajectory.

[ClutchCity713]

Making the playoffs was phase 2 when Udoka was hired. The goal before the season was to make the play in. Safe to say they are well on the right track as an organization.

[Frankie]

What Houston is doing is remarkable but without serious playoff experience from their young bucks, I don't see them going too far in the playoffs this year. There are too many examples of this including OKC and Memphis in the last several years. Regular season is vastly different from the post season.

That being said, they look like they have a promising future if they stay on this trajectory.

I agree. At this stage, I just can't wait for our young core to gain some invaluable playoff experience. As long as we don't get swept in the first round, I'm kind of OK with any outcome. A 7 game first round series loss would be disappointing but OK. A second round loss in 5 or 6 games would be OK. Obvs we're aiming higher than that, as is everyone else, but just watching the guys we drafted and developed compete in a playoff series would be unbelieve to experience as a fan.

[ClutchCity713]

Eventually a disgrunted superstar is going to see how good this team play and that's when Rafael Stone is going to pounce. Good position to be in.

[dans1230]

Ime is a great coach, great motivator. They have some exciting players led by Amen Thompson and getting into the 2nd round this year would be a huge success. Let these guys gain some playoff experience and land a legit #1 guy without gutting their team and they will be legit contenders in the west alongside OKC.

[FrodoBaggins]

Decent offense, but remarkable defense.

I'm always surprised when teams are able to succeed with a sinkhole like FVV in the starting lineup, especially when they blow overall from 3 as a team (and really at hitting shots in general). But they crush the offensive glass, don't turn it over and are monsters on the other end.

They're going to be interesting over the remainder of the season.

Houston's really leveraging the value of possession efficiency. A possession has never been more valuable (league average ORtg) than it has over the last half-decade. This team reminds me of Taylor Jenkins' MEM 2021-22 and 2022-23 squads.

[tsherkin]

Houston's really leveraging the value of possession efficiency. A possession has never been more valuable (league average ORtg) than it has over the last half-decade. This team reminds me of Taylor Jenkins' MEM 2021-22 and 2022-23 squads.

Yeah. It'll bite them in the ass in the playoffs, as such teams always discover, but that's what they're working with right now and it's functioning pretty well in the RS.

[bstein14]

Hey Rockets fans.

Is Amen your best player?
Who comes off the bench when Smith Jr comes back?
Should the Rockets trade Reed for a win now piece?

[Sane]

Hey Rockets fans.

Is Amen your best player?
Who comes off the bench when Smith Jr comes back?
Should the Rockets trade Reed for a win now piece?

1) Maybe, it depends how we play. Sengun better in cerebral halfcourt. Green still better at unassisted points, shooting. It's pretty even in production and age at the moment.

2) Amen least likely to go to the bench I'd say.

3) No way, he's legit. As you can see we just happen to be too competitive for a project. If he were a Wizard he'd be putting up 20 on poor efficiency. We always knew he needs 2 years to be converted into an NBA PG. All the players we fast-tracked in minutes struggled so I don't think the organization is doing that anymore. If he's struggling next season we'll talk but his projected skills are perfect for Sengun, Green, Amen.

[brackdan70]

Good win but this game wasnt about Rockets.
This was about our stupidity again.
Joe,JB and Luke just sold this game.

Both can be true. Rockets won a tough road game against the defending champs. It’s a good win. They are legit.

[Godymas]

Jan 22 - Houston 109 - Cleveland 108

Jan 25 - Houston 135 - Cleveland 131

Jan 27 - Houston 114 - Boston 112

Now Boston did destroy Houston not too long ago, but it needs to be mentioned, Houston did not have Amen Thompson and Tari Eason to play that night.

Amen Thompson has broken out, it seems like Houston has likely solidified that their 2 franchise pieces are Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. Fred Vanvleet is the perfect veteran PG to play between these two. Plays great defense, stretches the floor, gets the job done. The key here is that Freddy can stretch the floor, but here's the scary thing. Houston just selected a guy #3 overall (oh look Brooklyn's pick!) that is an undersized PG like Fred, and projects to be an EVEN BETTER SHOOTER. That's why I think Reed Sheppard is here to stay in Houston and he will get worked into the rotation slowly.

Ime Udoka has proven now that he is capable of developing players as Amen has now broken out under him.

So I'd hazard a guess that Houston eventually moves Reed Sheppard to their starting 1 and with Tari Eason and Amen Thompson guarding the perimeter and Dillon Brooks being the tough enforcer, what lack of defensive ability Sheppard has, it won't matter in this team. Sengun was not good defensively either and now he's a starter on an elite defensive team because this roster construction and drafting is all time great.

Then there's Jabari Smith Jr. This is a guy that Houston did select #3 overall a few years ago. If he is willing to accept that he is not a star, but a role player, he has a place on this team moving forward. The physical size, defense, and shooting will get him a spot in Udoka's lineup.

Jalen Green is the most curious piece here, does it really make sense to have someone like him on this team? You know who I would really like to see in Jalen Green's place? Someone that's young and WAAAAY more efficient and that's why I wonder if Zach LaVine could be a really good fit in Houston as the hyper efficient scoring machine to upgrade where Jalen Green is. I guarantee Chicago would be very happy taking Green in return.

[tsherkin]

Amen looks legit legit, MVP level potential.

Bit early to be on that train, especially for a 6'7 dude who can't shoot to save his life past 15 feet. Had a huge game against the Celtics for sure. Good quicks, good body control, good strength, obviously great elevation and reach. Has a handle and a short game, finishes very well in close. He certainly looks like a future All-Star, but "MVP-level potential" seems a bit early with his specific weaknesses.

[hardenASG13]

They will take their lumps in the playoffs. I remember OKC stans last year thinking their lack of playoff experience wouldn't matter, and then they got bounced in round 2.

That OKC/Dallas series last year easily could've gone either way, with OKC being favorites over Minnesota in the WCF. They were an SGA foul on a PJ Washington 3 away from hosting game 7.

Also this isn't the 90s or 2000s, where the competition is established teams like the 90s rockets/Jazz, the early 2000s lakers/Spurs, the mid 2000s lakers/Spurs/Thunder, and the late 2010s Warriors/Rockets. Dallas has made 1 finals and got beat easily. The Nuggets have made 1 finals vs an extremely weak field. The Grizzlies don't have a deep run to their name, the Lakers haven't been great since 2020 (although AD is really balling). OKC as you mentioned hasn't proven anything in the postseason (though they are the clear favorite in the west if Chet comes back imo).

With the emergence of Thompson finally in the starting the lineup (he should be the next WC player of the week) , there's no reason they aren't contenders. It's not like it used to be where inexperienced teams have to take down teams that are established staples of making deep playoff runs. Those teams haven't been around since the bubble, outside of the Boston Celtics.