Predicting where the Rockets will finish in the Western Conference next season

Golden State Warriors

It feels like the Rockets should usurp the Warriors this year. They're aging, and they lost Klay Thompson this summer. Additions like Kyle Anderson and De'Anthony Melton were smart, but we're not sure if they sufficiently move the needle.

Yet...it's the Warriors. These pesky Warriors have been giving the Rockets headaches for over a decade. We cannot, in good conscience, definitively declare that the Rockets will overcome them in 2024-25.

Memphis Grizzlies

The Grizzlies won 27 games last year. Throw the whole season out the window. The Grizzlies were mostly without Ja Morant and Steven Adams.

If you missed the boat, Adams is a Rocket now. The Grizzlies replaced him with rookie Zach Edey. Morant is unfortunately injury prone - nobody will be shocked if he gets hurt again. Memphis is the fringiest fringe case - they could win 50+ games, or they could fall victim to tragedy again.

New Orleans Pelicans

Speaking of injury-prone, Zion Williamson had his healthiest season in quite some time in 2023-24. Should we expect that trend to hold?

How about Brandon Ingram? He's had his share of injury problems. Look: the Pelicans added Dejounte Murray this summer. On paper, they're comfortably ahead of the Rockets. Still, this team feels like a powder keg that's ready to explode. Williamson and Ingram have both been prominent in trade rumors.

It may be time for the Rockets to surpass this group.