Houston Rockets: 2017-18 NBA season preview
Predictions
The Western Conference will be brutal this season. Teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets should be much improved, the Thunder took a big leap, the Warriors are slightly better and the San Antonio Spurs are still the Spurs. It will be tough on a nightly basis for the Rockets, and one or two wins could be the difference between the second seed and the fourth seed.
However, Houston has two of the best point guards in the league, a plethora of shooters, more than capable big men that possess a diverse set of skills, and more defenders at their disposal. This combination will allow the Rockets to build on their 55-win season from a year ago, as their offense should be just as good (if not better) while their defense can improve a couple of spots.
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Because Paul or Harden will always be on the court, there shouldn’t be any moment in the game where the Rockets offense drops off. Combining that with the fact that now Houston can throw Ariza, Tucker and/or Mbah a Moute at opposing wings leads you to believe that Houston will be improved on both ends of the floor.
It will likely take some time during the early stages of the season for the team to truly jell (especially Harden and Paul), which could lead to a rather mediocre start. Last season the Rockets got off to a 6-5 start because of the new integration of their system and a tough, road-heavy schedule.
This season, seven of their first 10 games are on the road, which is always tough in the NBA. The Rockets will likely get off to a similar slow start this season, but when they finally jell and hit the ground running, watch out.
Next: 30 reasons to be excited for the 2017-18 NBA season
In the end, the Rockets will win 57 games and be the second seed in the Western Conference. Their depth and improvement on the defensive end will carry them, and they will outlast the Thunder in a tough seven-game second round series in order to advance to the conference finals, where they will lose in five games to the Warriors.