1 Bold prediction for the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets will make the NBA Play-In Tournament
There's a chance the Houston Rockets' patience weighs thin and the team decides to make a bold trade this season. I nearly made that my bold prediction for the team. However, I'm going to pivot in a different direction. Instead, my bold prediction for the Rockets is that they will make the NBA Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference this season. The Rockets quietly had a 19-win jump from the 2021-22 season to the 2022-23 campaign. They won 41 games last season and finished 11th in the West standings. I believe they could win 40-45 games this season and believe that will be enough to qualify for the Play-In Tournament.
If that does happen, it will mean the team's young core took a step forward or the Rockets made an in-season move to raise the ceiling for the team. Either way, it will result in Houston making a move up the West hierarchy.
To be perfectly honest, I'm excited to see it all unfold. Overlooked at times, the Rockets have one of the most intriguing young cores in the league. And if they begin to click this season, they could be quite fun to watch.