Williams’ Elite Verdict: Former Star Weighs In on Overlooked Rockets’ Potential, Defying Lakers’ Threat and Signaling a Postseason Upset Brewing in Houston
The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors have been the talk of the Western Conference, but don’t discount the Houston Rockets.
Since the NBA trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers have kicked their play into a higher gear by adding superstars Jimmy Butler and Luka Doncic. As a result of the star-studded lineups, the Lakers and Warriors have been included with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the favorites to win the Western Conference.
However, for the majority of the season, the Houston Rockets have been the second-best team out west, although the gap between the first-place Thunder and the rotating cast of third-place teams is totally incomparable.
Unlike other high-level teams, the Rockets don’t boast an established superstar, nor did they enter the season with real title hopes. Nonetheless, Houston is very much in the running, despite their lack of attention.
Consistent Houston Rockets are Finals contenders
This season, the Rockets are behind only the Thunder and Orlando Magic with a defensive rating of 110.1, and their net rating is behind only the Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies in the West. Memphis is also an overlooked team, but their injury history doesn’t inspire the same faith.
Unlike the Lakers and Warriors, the Rockets didn’t need a late-season addition to boost them into title conversations.
“The Rockets have been consistent this entire year,” pointed out Lou Williams on FanDuel’s Run It Back.
“They had some slippage coming out of the All-Star break where they weren’t in second place. They allowed the Lakers to get there. But present day, they’re right back in that position. And that’s where they’ve been all season long.”
In the postseason, experience and stardom matters. The Rockets will be in unfamiliar territory, so counting them out isn’t completely unjustified.
“I can’t overlook the Houston Rockets and not say they haven’t been impactful, haven’t been the second-best team in the West,” Williams continued before conceding that the Rockets have a tough road ahead of them.
“Here the Lakers are, right back in the mix, led by LeBron James, led by Luka Doncic. Then you got Austin Reaves doing his thing and playing at a high clip. Everything that’s working for the Lakers right now comes on the heels of all three of these guys.”
Houston has a high-level track record heading into the NBA playoffs
Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Fred VanVleet, and the rest of Ime Udoka’s roster have proven time and time again that they can hang with the best teams in the West.
They have a win over the Thunder, beat the Lakers in their only matchup so far this season, are 3-1 against Memphis, and won their only game against the Denver Nuggets.
“As far as their team collectively, are they the second-best team?” Williams finished. “I would say they’re 2A or 2B. It’s going to come down to this last stretch of games, who’s really the second-best team.”
The Lakers have three stars, but beyond that don’t have many strengths to inspire confidence. The Rockets took a traditional team-building approach and lean on depth, and have found success, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
“We talked about how good the Lakers’ defense has been recently, the Houston Rockets have been doing it all season long,” added Chandler Parsons.
The Rockets, who boast the third-best defense, should be confident. Five of the last six champions ranked in the top ten in defensive rating, but only three Finals teams in the same stretch naked top-ten in offense. Houston holds the 11th offensive rating in the NBA.
Unlike some other contenders, the Rockets don’t have a track record of playoff experience, but then again, neither do the Thunder.
