Rockets guaranteed to be at a disadvantage in key area during 2025 NBA Playoffs

The Houston Rockets will enter the 2025 NBA Playoffs facing monumental expectations. Houston secured the No. 2 seed in the remarkably competitive Western Conference standings, finishing ahead of an abundance of teams with bigger names on their respective rosters.

There are valid concerns about Houston lacking a proven go-to scorer near the end of games, but the bigger issue it's soon to encounter is the reality of postseason inexperience.

Houston went 52-30 in 2024-25, as well as 23-19 against teams that finished above .500—the fourth-best record in the NBA in that regard. The Rockets also went 8-5 in games that were decided by three points or less, which was the third-best mark in the Association.

Compounded by the fact that Houston has been playing postseason-caliber defense since long before the playoffs rolled around, all signs point toward a successful first-round series.

Unfortunately, the Rockets are soon to face the reality of how damaging inexperience can be. There are veterans on the roster who will attempt to offset those concerns, but the youth of the current core could prove detrimental in the short-term.

No matter which team Houston encounters during the playoffs, the bottom line is that a vast majority of its players have never been to the postseason.

Rockets must find way to compensate for lack of postseason experience

Six of the Rockets' top eight players in minutes per game will be making their postseason debuts in 2025. That list consists of leading scorer Jalen Green, All-Star center Alperen Sengun, rising star Amen Thompson, and promising forwards Tari Eason, Jabari Smith, and Cam Whitmore.

The only two players who ranked in the top eight on the Rockets in minutes per game who have played a postseason minute are Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet.

Thankfully, VanVleet has quite the pedigree, having played a key role on the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, he hasn't been to the playoffs since 2022, when he shot 35.2 percent from the field during a first-round exit.

Brooks, meanwhile, infamously shot 31.2 percent from the field and 23.8 percent from beyond the arc during a first-round exit that effectively led to his split from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Thankfully, the Rockets play a style that should keep them in any game or series they play. Their smothering defense has shut down some of the best players and offenses that the NBA has to offer, and the playoffs should only accentuate that strength.

It's also fair to believe that the leadership provided by the likes of Steven Adams, Brooks, and VanVleet should be invaluable to the Rockets' younger players.

As far as knowing what to do at the end of a close playoff game, however, that knowledge is gained through experience. No matter how many veterans Houston has or lacks, the ball will ultimately go to the best players—most of whom have yet to debut in the postseason.

In no way does inexperience guarantee an early exit from the playoffs, but the Rockets have an uphill battle ahead of them no matter which team they encounter.