The Rockets Can't Rest While The West Rises

Big offseason moves are dominating the headlines across the league as several teams are juicing up their rosters to improve their chances at winning an NBA Championship. The Minnesota Timberwolves are pairing Anthony Edwards and Lamelo Ball, the Miami Heat added Giannis Antetokounmpo, and several teams are lying in wait to pounce on the next league-altering offseason move.

The Houston Rockets have mostly sat this offseason out, watching many of their peers plot and commit to franchise-shifting moves. The Rockets may be standing pat, but they can't afford to get left behind by their fellow franchises, especially in the Western Conference.

The Rockets seem to have a clear plan, which is based mostly on the hope that their players will elevate even further for the team.

Alperen Şengün and Amen Thompson are the young leaders on the team who still have much room to grow before they could qualify as one of the best players on a championship contending team.

These players will get plenty of support from the likes of Kevin Durant, but they can no longer allow Durant to do the heavy lifting for the offense. Durant needs to be able to play his ideal game throughout the season and earn enough rest per game to go into a deep postseason run as healthy as possible.

The return of Fred VanVleet almost feels like an offseason addition, the Rockets didn't get to see a single second of game film with both VanVleet and Durant. Now, the Rockets get their lead ball handler back, an element many of the league's best teams obtain.

The improvements to the team's young players and the return of impact veteran players give the Rockets hope that they can still compete, despite some teams making big swings in the offseason. Other teams are plotting on how they can round out already competitive teams, and some teams that have been bad the past few seasons seem to be turning the corner into competitiveness.

With a landscape that continues to become more difficult, especially in the West, the Rockets can't afford to be left behind. Their gamble on their in-house talent may seem more appealing than gambling on an aging or disgruntled superstar, but the Rockets will find out sooner rather than later if their gamble will pay off.

With the West rising and some teams in the East becoming more interesting, the path to a title is as difficult as its ever been. If the Rockets aren't careful, they could get lost in the shuffle.