Former Rockets legend shares formula for playoff push in 2024-25

If you were a Houston Rockets fan between 1993 and 1995, everyone else is jealous of you.

That's when the Rockets won their only championships in franchise history. They went back-to-back while Michael Jordan was cosplaying as a baseball player. They hadn't won the title before, and they haven't since.

So, when members of those teams speak, Rockets fans listen. They know what it takes to surmount the odds. One of the members of those teams believes he's got the formula to get Houston back into the postseason dance.

Legendary Rockets point guard has the blueprint

Smith was on SportsTalk 790 - KBME Houston, and he had some thoughts about how the Rockets can make the playoffs in 2024-25.

"They have to just improve. They've done a great job in improving... Last year, they were a talented team. Not just talented players".

-Kenny Smith

That's an interesting observation. Smith knows something about a team that's greater than the sum of its parts. Just think about those championship-winning Rockets.

Sure, Hakeem Olajuwon was the best player in the NBA who had hair on his head. Otherwise, the Rockets' first title team was bereft of star power. Instead, they ran an innovative four-out offense with the Dream in the middle. By surrounding him with complimentary role players, they found success.

The team acquired Clyde Drexler ahead of their second title run. Drexler was still a star, averaging 21.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game with a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 5.0. That's strong, but it's far from his career-high of 7.4. Drexler was 32 and on the backend of his prime.

That's not to say that the Rockets weren't talented. Like the current iteration of the team, they were deep.

Remember that Smith was a key contributor to those teams as well.

Kenny Smith is a true Rockets legend

Smith's career has been the subject of scrutiny in recent years. His time as a member of Inside the NBA hasn't done his legacy any favors.

Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley love to rib Smith. Frankly, it isn't fair. They're both former MVP winners, but Smith was no slouch on the floor.

His best season came before the Rockets' title runs. In 1990-91, Smith averaged 17.7 points and 7.1 assists per game with a BPM of 2.9. That's a fringe star-caliber season.

By the time the Rockets made a title run, a young Sam Cassell was vying for Smith's starting spot. They formed one of the better positional platoons in the league. The Rockets always had a starting-caliber point guard on the floor.

Once again, we see shades of the current Rockets. If VanVleet is Smith, the Rockets hope that Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard can be their Cassell.

If that happens, younger Rockets fans may not have to feel jealous for much longer.