NBA Rumors: Heading into the final push toward the playoffs, we make seven post-All-Star break predictions that could change the league's landscape.
With less than two months remaining in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the final stretch of the season could go a long way in altering the perception across the league. Some teams will be looking to cement themselves as championship or, at the very least, playoff contenders while others will be looking to improve the amount of ping-pong balls they'll get on NBA Draft Lotter night. Either way, the final few weeks of the season could play a huge part in dictating the future for many teams across the league.
As the final stretch of the season quickly approaches, we make seven post-All-Star break predictions that could go a long way in changing fans' perspectives across the league. We begin by throwing a wet blanket on one of the best stories from the first half of the season in the Western Conference.
The Houston Rockets begin to fall apart
Through January 28, the Houston Rockets continued to be one of the best stories in the Western Conference. Up to that point, the Rockets were second in the West standings and had the third-best record in the entire league. However, having lost seven of their last nine games heading into the All-Star break, the narrative around Houston has certainly begun to change a bit. They're still ranked in the top 4 of the West, but there are questions surrounding this team heading into the final stretch of the season.
I predict that those questions will continue to hover as the Rockets will begin to fall apart slightly during the stretch run to the playoffs. I'm not saying the Rockets are going to completely fall out of the playoff race, but they're going to drop another spot or two in the standings before the end of the regular season. I believe their inexperience is going to play a big role in that and the fact that some of their young players could be hitting a wall pretty soon. It's not going to completely change the taste of this ceiling for the Rockets, but it will certainly give the fanbase some hesitation about this young core.