Houston Rockets member starts to get deserved recognition

The Rockets may have finished the 2021 NBA season with the worst record in the league, but that didn't stop their front office from getting some recognition.

Contrary to what some people in the media believe, the final win-loss record for a team should not be the sole determinant of whether or not a player or executive is successful. Yes, this might hurt Bill Simmons and some of his takes on the Rockets, but it is just the truth.

The Rockets had the worst record in basketball this season. That does not mean that the year was a waste or that those involved with the franchise don't deserve recognition-even if the accomplishments are small.

Despite how you may feel about some of his moves, Rafael Stone has been a big part of how the Rockets have been able to gear up for the future, and a few voters have noticed this.

The future is very bright in Houston, and it is for that reason that Stone received two third-place votes for the 2021-2022 NBA Executive of the Year Award, according to Alykhan Bijani on Twitter.

This might be a little early to call Stone's process great, but it does still acknowledge that good things are happening with this Houston roster, even if the win-loss record doesn't jump off the page.

Jalen Green and the young core got better. The Rockets were also able to get off one veteran for younger players with the potential to make a few more moves this offseason and bring the overall age of the roster down even further. The team was able to grow and secure excellent odds for winning the top pick.

The vision by Rafael Stone is starting to come to life. This vision looks good.

It might be a little early to start getting excited about limited recognition during a season like this, but it does show that the team is starting to take the right steps, and people are noticing it.

Now let's get a full season with this roster and see how that impacts the voting for the same award this time next year.