Predicting where the Houston Rockets will finish in the West

The Final Stretch for the Houston Rockets

The last three games are against three East playoff teams: The Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors. All three of these teams are certainly capable of defeating the Houston Rockets.

The Pacers should be healthy by the time the season resumes, which makes them a threat to any team, being that they are big and can defend well. The 76ers are one of the tallest teams in the NBA, which could be hectic for the small ball Rockets.

The eighth game is still up in the air, but for now is set to be against the Toronto Raptors. Toronto, of course, is the reigning NBA champion and, despite losing Kawhi Leonard in free agency, still shows no signs of slowing down, as they are the second seed in the East and are coached by Nick Nurse, who is likely going to be crowned Coach of the Year.

Predicting the Rockets’ Seeding

The final eight games will be tough, but I believe the Rockets will finish the remainder of their season with a 5-3 record with wins over the Blazers, Kings, Mavericks, Pacers and Raptors. Due to the size advantages for the Lakers, Bucks and 76ers, I don’t see the Rockets winning those games.

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A 5-3 finish would give the Rockets a record of 45-27. As for where they will be in the standings come playoff time, I believe the Rockets will finish as the fourth seed with the Utah Jazz falling to fifth and Thunder falling to sixth.

This would mean if the Rockets win their first series, a potential match up with the Lakers would be waiting for the second round, which might lead to some problems.

If you’re Houston, would you mind finishing as the sixth seed to take on the Denver Nuggets in the first round and the Clippers in the second round?

Personally, I believe the Rockets have a better shot at eliminating the Clippers, due to LA also playing small ball with Montrezl Harrell at the five.

There are a lot of questions for the Houston Rockets when it pertains to this season’s continuation. In any event, it feels good to say Rockets basketball is back!