Houston Rockets
Thankful for: A strong young core
With their hot start to the season, the Houston Rockets have become one of the bigger surprises in the Western Conference. I'm not sure anyone believes the Rockets can be a contender this season but they have a talented enough roster where they can surely play spoiler if they can get to the NBA Playoffs. And the Rockets should be thankful for their strong collection of young players this holiday season. It's one of the bigger reasons why the Rockets are in the position they find themselves in so far this season.
What makes the Rockets so dangerous on any given night is the fact that they have a number of players that can beat you. The Rockets are not just a one-man team. The Rockets have seven players that are all averaging double-figures in scoring per game this season and five of them are under the age of 23. Oh, and the Rockets haven't even taken the training wheels completely off of Reed Sheppard. The Rockets have a bright future and a roster full of intriguing young talent.
Indiana Pacers
Thankful for: Their run to the ECF last season
It's been a rough start to the season but the good news is that the Indiana Pacers have bought themselves some goodwill with their performance in the NBA Playoffs last year. If it wasn't for their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, can you imagine what the narrative would be around this team right now? The Pacers haven't looked exceptionally good since making the move for Pascal Siakam and while a lot of that has to do with the regression that has taken place in Tyrese Haliburton's game, at some point you have to wonder if those two have anything in common.
That's the biggest reason why the Pacers should be thankful for their impressive run to the conference finals last season. If it wasn't for that, the hot seat would be turning up for the front office. Make no mistake, there are still some big questions that must be answered for the team moving forward, especially if they can't shake off this irrelevant start to the season. For now, all is fine for the Pacers.