NBA Power Rankings: Playoff Edition

<p>The Rockets did what they needed to do to get here. Houston won their final three games of the regular season to outlast the Utah Jazz in the race for the eighth spot, and they should be commended for that, at least to some degree. With that said, this has been a disastrous season for the Rockets as a whole, and I do not see how any can “trust” this Houston team.</p> <p>If we hearken back to the start of the 2015-2016 season, it wasn’t rare to see credible writers and pundits picking the Rockets to <em>win the title</em>. Then, Houston basically went through 82 games with a “defense is optional” approach, and even the offensive excellence of James Harden wasn’t enough to carry them to even a reasonable seed.</p> <p>For the purposes of this post, we won’t talk about how they are simply fodder for Golden State to romp through in the first round, but even while ignoring that, the Rockets have a feel of a team that doesn’t belong here. Houston absolutely should be seen as a disappointment for their showing this season, and even if they are seen by some as “dangerous”, that gives this team far too much credit based on what we have seen for five-plus months.</p>. (41-41). Previous: . Houston Rockets. 15. team. 169