The Rockets off season addition will impact the team in different ways
The Houston Rockets roster has undergone several iterations in the last few seasons since James Harden stated that the situation can’t be fixed. Starting with the Kevin Porter Jr., Christian Wood, and Victor Oladipo era. Then, the Rockets started to bring in lottery picks every year and were one of the youngest teams in the league up until last season.
Last season, the Rockets needed a more veteran presence in the locker room. They decided to move on from the Stephen Silas era and brought in Ime Udoka to turn around one of the worst teams in the league the previous three seasons. The Rockets still brought in two more players through the draft, fourth overall pick Amen Thompson and surprise 20th pick Cam Whitmore, but that didn’t stop them from opening up the pocketbooks as they brought in Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green, Aaron Holiday, and Jock Landale.
The veteran players impacted the season differently, with VanVleet providing the steady hand and overall leadership the team had been missing. Brooks improved the team’s toughness and overall defense. He started the season strong from outside the arc but eventually returned to Earth. Green was the versatile big man the Rockets needed coming off the bench. Holiday provided depth in the backcourt, especially with Thompson’s injury earlier in the season. Landale, despite dealing with injuries for most of the season and struggling to find playing time, showed he was a capable backup center later in the season.
It led to the Rockets’ best season since 2018-2019, when they were 41-41. For the upcoming 2024-2025 season, the Rockets are again bringing in another high draft pick in Reed Sheppard, a young player with potential in Adrian Griffin, and veteran leadership in Steven Adams, who will all impact this year differently.
How the new additions will impact the Rockets this season
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As mentioned earlier in the article, the Rockets will have three more new faces next season. In a previous article, I spoke about the impact that Sheppard could have this upcoming season, but to sum it up, Sheppard will provide the outside shooting the Rockets have lacked for the last few seasons. During Summer League play Sheppard showed his unlimited range and accurate shooting from 3-point range.
Sheppard also showed his secondary playmaking skills and ability to be a pest on the defensive end. Of course, you can only take so much from the Summer League, as most players will not make an NBA roster, but shooting is one thing that translates at any level, especially elite shooting, as shown by Sheppard in Kentucky.
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Adams technically was on the team last season after a trade brought him over from the Memphis Grizzlies, but he sat out the entire season rehabbing his knee injury. If Adams can get back to his pre-injury level of play, you are adding one of the best rebounding and screen-setting big men in the NBA. Adams also brings a toughness the Rockets have been missing in the frontcourt for a while. The Grizzlies were moving to a younger roster, so they dealt Adams to the Rockets for pennies on the dollar. Adams slots in as the backup and knows Landale is your third center, which gives you one of the best center trios in the NBA.
The Rockets also traded for AJ Griffin, a 20-year-old former first-round pick who the Rockets had high on their board in 2022. The Rockets would have drafted him if the Hawks had not stepped in and taken him a pick earlier. They drafted Tari Eason, so it worked out great for the Rockets.
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Griffin had a strong rookie year before injuries, and coaching decisions kept him on the bench most of last season. Griffin is an above-average shooter, which works well for a team that struggles year in and year out from beyond the arc. Griffin may spend most of his time in the G-League as the Rockets roster is set for the most part, and he may have trouble getting on the court at least early in the season.
Conclusion
Of course, the significant addition this offseason was the drafting of Reed Sheppard, who provides the Rockets with much-needed shooting. Still, the addition of Adams can not be overlooked, especially if he can work himself back into form sooner rather than later. Griffin has potential, but wait and see if he ever lives up to it. The Rockets just completed Summer League play, so we want to see them back on the court until training camp in October.