Recapping the Last Half-Decade of Houston Rockets Basketball

As we sit in the 'dead period' of the NBA offseason, we can only look back on seasons of the past, and for the Houston Rockets, it hasn't been pretty. For a team that has been historically competitive, the Rockets took a major transition as the decade did. The end of the 2010s brought great change among a team that was once a title contender.

Entering the 2020-21 season, the Rockets were coming off a first-round NBA Bubble exit at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. At that point, major questions surrounded whether or not Houston could contend with James Harden at the helm. More importantly, time was ticking on The Beard's patience.

After weeks of drama, the Rockets finally moved on from Harden, trading him to the Brooklyn Nets for an absolute haul. They'd finish out the season going a league-worst 17-55. However, what would come in 2021 is what Houston prides itself on right now.

In the 2021 NBA Draft, the Rockets drafted Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun in the first round. The two would eventually become key franchise pieces, with Sengun making his first All-Star Game last season.

The 2021-22 season was another rebuilding year for the Rockets, but that was expected. They once again had the worst record in the West at 20-62, but Green was the biggest bright spot, averaging 17.3 points per game. Christian Wood, in his final season in Houston, led the team in scoring at 17.9 points per game.

That year, the Rockets were a mix of youth and veteran talent, but the offseason would bring some major changes. Houston drafted Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, two players who have also become huge pieces in the team's rise to relevance.

The 2022-23 season had everyone realizing the future the Rockets could have. Despite going 22-60, the core of Sengun, Green, Smith, Eason and Jae'Sean Tate turned heads with flashes of greatness. The future was looking fairly bright in Houston despite the record, and it was reinforced with the hiring of head coach Ime Udoka that offseason.

Which brings us to the 2023-24 season. After bringing in veterans such as Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets took a major leap. They went 41-41, barely missing the Play-In Tournament. Sengun took a major leap, averaging 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

The defense was much improved under Udoka, and there were legitimate cornerstones to root for. Houston was showing steady improvement, and in some cases, things were moving quickly than expected. If the Rockets simply stayed the course, playoff contention would be on the horizon.

The 2024-25 season would be the one where it all came together in Houston. The team blew everyone away, posting a top-five defensive rating and going 52-30. The Rockets would go from a lottery team to the second seed in the Western Conference under a starting lineup of Sengun, Green, VanVleet, Brooks and Amen Thompson.

Despite a first-round exit at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, no one could deny the potential of this up-and-coming core. The Rockets took full advantage of their pieces, making a series of significant win-now moves this summer.

Houston acquired all-time scorer Kevin Durant, along with veterans such as Clint Capela, Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie. Heading into this season, the Rockets are legitimate title contenders for the first time since the Harden era.

Looking back, Houston's front office made all the right moves to get to where it is today. Maybe some luck was involved, but the Rockets were patient in building a young core with draft picks, slowly moving on from veterans to start the 2020s. At this point, they have all the pieces to not only compete right now, but for the next half-decade as well.