Rockets Rank Second in ESPN's Future Power Rankings

The 2019-20 NBA season was quite noteworthy, on a number of fronts. Several superstars changed teams in th offseason leading up to the season, including Russell Westbrook, who was traded to the Houston Rockets for a litany of first-round draft picks. Also, the season was abruptly halted, due to COVID-19.

Houston had one of the league's oldest teams, so the break was highly beneficial. The Rockets flamed out in the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers, prompting significant change, which was also welcome for a Rockets team that needed to get younger.

Houston didn't own much draft capital, because Daryl Morey -- the GM at the time -- had a philosophy of going all in and shelling out draft picks once in contention status, much like the Westbrook trade.

The team ultimately parted with James Harden, their franchise player, netting the franchise a massive overhaul of draft capital. Rafael Stone, who had replaced Morey by now, began drafting high-level talents annually, starting with Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun -- the latter of which has already become an All-Star within four years. 

The following season saw Houston add Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason via the draft, followed by Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, and Reed Sheppard over the next two years. 

Add it all up and you have a Rockets team well set up for the future, although Green and Whitmore are no longer in the fold.

ESPN's basketball panel seems to agree, as they placed the Rockets second in their future power rankings -- an improvement from their previous seventh place ranking. 

"Houston is proof of how quickly these rankings can shift. The Rockets were among our bottom-five teams in four of the five rankings from May 2021 through October 2023, and they never finished higher than 22nd.

But last year, the Rockets leapt to seventh after hiring coach Ime Udoka and amassing one of the best young cores in the league. The addition of future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant also helps, as Houston lands behind its Western Conference rivals thanks to top-five rankings in players (second), management (fourth) and draft assets (fifth)."

The Rockets have drafted quite well since Stone took over. So much that he was selected as the top front office executive, as it pertains to adding talent via the draft. 

Houston has already doled out rookie-scale extensions to Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr., while Eason is next in line. That's a tell-tale sign that the players have panned out thus far.

The only team ahead of Houston in the rankings was the Oklahoma City Thunder.