Houston Rockets season receives glowing praise from major media outlet

Some Houston Rockets fans are disappointed. They wanted the team to qualify for the 2023-24 NBA play-in tournament.

Fair enough. That would have been nice. It wasn't exactly the expectation heading into this season. Most observers feel that the Rockets exceeded expectations in 2023-24.

Bleacher Report is no exception.

Houston Rockets receive glowing praise from major media outlet

Bleacher Report gave the Rockets a B+ on their final season grade.

"(T)he Houston Rockets smashed expectations this season and got multiple breakouts from all over the roster."

Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report

Some may consider that a modest grade. Think again. Only six teams received a higher grade. The Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Orlando Magic all graded out as A students.

That means 24 teams received the same grade or lower. So, the Rockets had a successful season according to at least one unbiased observer.

Will they repeat that feat in 2024-25?

Houston Rockets about to raise the bar

Time will tell.

In 2023-24, the goal was to improve. The Rockets increased their win total by 19. That was the biggest jump in the NBA.

Still, the Rockets were a .500 team this year. Next year, that won't suffice. The Rockets need to finish 2024-25 with a winning record.

Do they need to make the postseason? That's a different question. The instinctive answer is a resounding "yes".

With that said, it's worth noting that the Golden State Warriors needed 46 wins to procure the 10th seed in the Western Conference this year. A playoff bid in 2024-25 will not come easily.

We'll see what happens. The bottom line is that the Rockets are on the right track. Sure, they missed the play-in this year. It could be worse:

Bleacher Report gave the Warriors a C for 2023-24.