Houston Rockets: Way-Too-Early Season Expectations

The Houston Rockets finished No. 2 in the Western Conference this past season and were one of the best defensive teams in the league.

They took the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the first round of the playoffs, but ultimately lost and learned that a shooter is needed on the team. Rafael Stone and Ime Udoka worked with the Phoenix Suns to go and trade for Kevin Durant this past week.

Houston has high expectations for this upcoming season. Its biggest expectation is making it to the Western Conference Finals. The addition of Durant makes this goal reachable.

He is arguably the greatest scorer of all time and can score at will. His leadership, combined with Fred VanVleet's, can bring this young team to the conference finals. Durant is a scorer and is now surrounded by great defense from Amen Thompson and Tari Eason. Thompson just made the First Team All-Defense for the first time in his career, in just his second season. Alperen Sengun made the All-Star team for the first time in his career during his fourth season. Now that the young guys on the roster have some playoff experience, this goal is realistic.

Reed Sheppard and Cam Whitmore have to play more minutes. This past season, neither of them saw the floor very much. Sheppard has the potential to be a great shooter in the NBA, but he has not played enough to show what he can truly become. He could be the shooter and scorer that the Rockets were missing last season. Whitmore is an athletic wing who can shoot the ball well and drive to the rim for a dunk or draw contact in the lane. The forward can develop with Durant on the team and should have a larger impact on the team this upcoming season.

There is one thing that Houston must do better than last season, and that is shooting the ball well. The team shot 45.5% from the field, 15th best in the league. From the three-point range, the Rockets were 19th, shooting just 35.3%. For the team to have a better season and advance to the Western Conference Finals, they must shoot in the 47% range from the field and the 37% range from three-point range. The team should end the season with a 55-27 record.