What Would be Considered a Failure for the Rockets This Season?

It's not quite championship or bust for the Houston Rockets, but they'll need to compete at the highest levels in the Western Conference to meet their expectations.

The Rockets move into next season with big aspirations, feeling that the team they've created this offseason is good enough to compete with any other team in the league. The Rockets believe they've closed the gap between them and the current reigning champions, who will be the cream of the crop in the West for the foreseeable future.

The Rockets are hoping to reach their first Western Conference Finals since 2018 and give themselves a chance to compete for a championship for the first time since their back-to-back titles in the mid-90s. To accomplish this, the Rockets will need several things to go their way. If they don't, they could be looking at a subpar season compared to their expectations.

There are a few situations that could be considered a disappointment for Houston. Any major injury to one of Alperen Sengun, Kevin Durant, or Amen Thompson would be a significant hit to their championship chances.

They likely won't have enough to get close to winning a championship without all three of those players healthy and playing at a high level.

Outside of injury, several factors could result in the season being a failure.

From the team's perspective, the Rockets are looking to become a competitive postseason team. Houston likely will need to win at least one round of the playoffs and push a title contender/favorite to a long series in the second round to avoid a postseason failure.

With the amount of talent available on the team, the Western Conference Finals is a realistic expectation for the squad, but the season isn't necessarily a failure if they don't. A competitive run in the postseason that gives them a legitimate chance at a WCF is the ultimate goal for the Rockets.

To make the conference finals, Houston needs support from players like Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Dorian Ginney-Smith. These players will be responsible for knocking down perimeter shots created by their top players. Reed Sheppard may also be in the mix as someone who Houston wants to contribute as soon as possible.

The season could be a failure for Sheppard individually if he isn't able to grow as a player and become aggressive on the court when the Rockets need him to spark a run.

The season would be considered a failure if he can't step up, creating uncertainty for the team's future at point guard.

While there are several reasons why many believe the Rockets will be one of the league's best, they could just as easily be knocked out by a team they are favored over.