Rockets' offseason moves draw skepticism from national writer

The Houston Rockets entered the 2023 offseason in dire need of a roster overhaul. Better yet, an organizational overhaul.

After all, they were the worst team in the Western Conference for the last three seasons.

The Rockets’ first order of business was removing the head of the snake, as they replaced then-head coach Stephen Silas with Ime Udoka- a Gregg Popovich disciple who won a championship as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013-14.

The Rockets then added proven veterans in the locker room, including a few players with championship experience in Fred VanVleet and Jeff Green, in addition to Dillon Brooks and Jock Landale, who have both been a part of legitimate postseason runs.

The Rockets also had a rock-solid NBA Draft, as they landed two lottery-level players in Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, despite not having to trade up to snag the latter.

Udoka made mention of the fact that he’s never missed the playoffs as a player or coach and that he doesn’t expect that streak to end now.

Fans are excited, and they should be. It’s hard not to be.

Hold your horses though, because not everyone is sold.

Not everyone is sold on the Rockets' offseason moves

USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky issued grades for each respective teams' offseason and seemed rather pessimistic about the Rockets' summer spending spree.

"No team had a more notable yet confusing roster overhaul than the Rockets, who basically reshuffled the decks and are trying something drastically new for next year. It is no longer just a young team trying to tank in Houston with Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks on the roster, but it’s a bit hard to predict if that will impact winning much in the near future."

Kalbrosky gave the Rockets a B-, despite his synopsis of the Rockets’ offseason.

Kalbrosky didn't mention the Rockets' draft, which is understandable, as neither Amen Thompson nor Cam Whitmore figure to garner significant roles for the franchise this season. Granted, none of us know what Udoka has cooked up, so this could very well change, but as of now, the Rockets’ rookies aren’t expected to be major contributors.

Soon enough, we'll find out if Kalbrosky is right.