Houston Rockets Future May be Determined by What Happens in First Round

The Rockets, however, are not part of this chaos as they not only clinched home-court advantage in the first round but also the No. 2 seed, which means they will have home-court advantage in the second round if they make it out of the first round.

The Rockets have the luxury of resting players for the final few games, a luxury they already implemented in their game on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets understand they will need to be 100 percent going into the first round of the playoffs.

The first round represents the next step in the Rockets' progression to becoming a championship contender. The Rockets have resisted making significant trades over the last few years, building their team mainly from the ground up. Even with players like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets are one of the youngest teams in the NBA.

Coming off a 19-game improvement last season, the Rockets were seen as a team that could be looking to add a star-level player. Everyone from Kevin Durant to Jimmy Butler was linked to the Houston Rockets; however, the Rockets resisted the temptation to break up their young core.

The prevailing thought is that the Rockets front office, led by Rafael Stone, wants to see how the team performs in the playoffs, especially Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun. Despite being the second seed, the Rockets may not be favored in a second-round matchup. However, a first-round win should be the bare minimum, considering the Rockets have been one of the best teams all season long.

Stone and the Rockets want to see who steps up in the playoffs and who wilts under the pressure. Any star-level player they bring in via trade will more likely have already been to the playoffs or even won a championship, so finding out who can step up in the pressure-pack playoffs will help determine the Rocket's next move.

A first-round loss in which the team doesn't look complete could push Stone to make a move sooner rather than later. A first-round victory and a hard-fought second-round could lead Stone to leave his team intact and bring in more complementary pieces. The way the Rockets perform in the playoffs will affect not only this season but possibly the next several for the Houston Rockets.