The Houston Rockets may not have the star power that the other top seeds have in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, but they'll have a shot to be as dangerous as any team in the NBA Playoffs. Finishing as the No. 2 seed in the West, the Rockets should be respected heading into the postseason, even in a first-round series against the Golden State Warriors.
However, that may not entirely be the case at the moment. The Rockets, who won 52 games this season, are already being overlooked and disrespected before their playoff run even begins.
According to multiple sports betting markets, the Warriors are the "betting favorites" heading into the start of their first-round playoff series against the Rockets. Even though this is not necessarily that surprising, it will add an interesting layer to the start of this matchup.
Another chip on the Houston Rockets' shoulder?
On one hand, the argument could be made that the Warriors should be a slight favorite heading into this series, especially with the way the team has played since the NBA All-Star break. The Warriors do have the big names, the experience, and perhaps even the head-coaching advantage. However, at the same time, this could also be seen as a huge slight at the Rockets.
Already, as-is, the average NBA fan doesn't respect the Rockets heading into the NBA Playoffs. From what's currently out there, it doesn't seem as if the sports betting community is buying Houston either. But, at least on paper, the Rockets have everything you want to see in a potential contender.
Houston has a top 12 offense, a top 10 defense, and net rating. Consistently, throughout this season, the Rockets have passed all the tests. Even when a rough patch hit a little past the midway through the year, the Rockets managed to turn things around and ended the year on a high note, winning 15 of their last 20 games.
I suppose this is the easy game; not to believe in a team that has not proven itself on the big stage. I suppose it's a fair argument, and it's easy to draw comparisons to the 2022-23 Warriors upsetting the third-seeded Sacramento Kings. But these Rockets are not those Kings. That Sacramento team was built on offense. This Houston team hangs its hat on defense. How much of a difference that will make remains to be seen.
The Rockets will head into their first-round series with a big chip on their shoulder as nearly everyone outside the state of Texas will likely be counting them out before Game 1 even begins.