The ascendance of a conference rival could spell disaster for Rockets

The Houston Rockets had a lot of lottery picks in recent years, but none of them yielded a can’t-miss superstar. Their best young player (Alperen Sengun) was picked 16th. By contrast, Victor Wembanyama landed with the Spurs. Now, it’s looking like they landed another foundational player.

Clearly, that refers to Dylan Harper. Through his first three NBA games, Harper is averaging 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He’s shooting a mediocre 28.6% from deep, but his interior efficiency is bolstering a solid 56.8% True Shooting % (TS%). Harper looks like the real deal:

That could be a problem for the Rockets.

Rockets conference rival looks poised to dominate

If there was ever any question about Wembanyama’s potential, it’s long been answered. As long as The Extraterrestrial is healthy, he’s a singular force of nature on a basketball court.

Through three games, he’s averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 6.0 - yes, 6.0 - blocks per game. That is a truly mind-boggling level of production.

Wembanyama was never going to fail. He’s 7’5” and he has bona fide guard skills. The only variable that stands to halt his potential is his own body. If he can stave off injuries, he’ll be among the best players in the NBA.

So, Harper is clearly panning out. Wembanyama has already panned out.

How will the Rockets deal with the Spurs’ dominant duo?

Rockets need to lean into their own strengths

Let’s be clear: Nothing is predetermined in the NBA.

Having the best player hasn’t guaranteed a playoff series win in some time. Even having the two best players can’t do that. There are more ways to win in 2025 than there’s ever been in the NBA.

The Rockets have depth. They have a surplus of size. This is a team with its own strengths and weaknesses. Despite a rough 0-2 start to the year, the Rockets are formidable in their own right.

They also have more assets than the Spurs or virtually any team outside of Oklahoma City. If the Rockets reach a place where they simply cannot match the Spurs, they can make a trade to try to reach them.

Perhaps that’s part of why they’ve already done so. The Rockets won 52 games last year and traded for Kevin Durant. The Spurs missed the playoffs. Their future is arguably brighter, but the Rockets’ window might be widest open over the next season or two.

Still, the future is bright in Space City as well. All the Rockets need to do is keep fielding quality teams and keep themselves in the title hunt. From there, luck comes into play. With talented young players and a bundle of future first-round picks, that can be done:

Even if the lottery didn’t bring them a Victor Wembanyama.