The 9.8% Solution to the Rockets Record.
We are entering the home stretch of the the 2024-25 NBA regular season. There’s really no way to describe it thus far as other than an unqualified success for the Rockets. They are currently in 2nd place in a brutal Western Conference. If OKC wasn’t putting up a defensive season for the ages (Chop! Chop! went The Butcher. Can’t call em all, says Mr. Bean.) the Rockets would surely be talked about more for their stellar defense.
If anyone had seen this version of the Rockets in the playoffs someone might mention that they have a better record than the New York Knicks, and a lot more runway to get better, than that team.
But that’s fine. If you’ve been a Rockets fan for long, you also know that it can be wearisome to be talked about a lot nationally, but only in a highly negative, and disingenuous, fashion. This Rockets team has room to grow, and isn’t near its peak form. The only player in Peak Season territory is Dillon Brooks, and he’s indeed having a peak shooting and scoring season. The others, the players the Rockets are counting on, are still a couple of years away from that, at least.
Meanwhile, the Rockets are very good indeed. It’s not a mirage. A team doesn’t win this many games in a ridiculously tough conference by being bad. It may be the things its good at aren’t necessarily the keys to playoff success, but that remains to be seen.
The Rockets remaining schedule is surprisingly tough, as all the teams along the way are Western Conference teams, and all but Utah have something besides the NBA Draft Lottery to play for. AK, of the Preview and Playback portion of This Parrish, believes the Rockets will only be favored against the Utah Dried Lakers. Perhaps.
Let’s go through the remaining games, and mark wins and losses for a final record projection or prediction or prognostication. I believe I’m on record somewhere here in the range of 52-54 wins for the Rockets. The team is currently 48-26.
3/3025 – Rockets at Suns. Phoenix is desperate, and playing better with some lineup changes. The Rockets, however, present a difficult matchup for nearly everyone but Kevin Durant. I’m going with a win here.
49-26
3/31/25 – Rockets at Lakers. Will Scottie Foster be the ref? Will Luka and Lebron whine? This is a national TV game. I’m going “L”, unless the Rockets, and specifically Ime Udoka gets away from this playoff rotation lineup and utilizes the Rockets extreme depth of talent to harass the Lakers defensively and offensively at high intensity. Making Luka and Lebron run a lot is to the Rockets advantage. Ime won’t do that. He’s not very creative. His way or no way at all. Loss.
49-27
4/2/25 – Dried Lakers at Rockets. The Jazz try to win at home, and certain generally fairly awful young UDLs play very well against the Rockets. Still Utah dream boy Cooper Flagg is at stake. Win.
50-27
4/4/25 OKC Thudner at Rockets. If OKC has first placed versus the Cavs, yes assuming an NBA Finals appearance, one the NBA League Office utterly dreads, the Rockets win. If not, they don’t. Let’s say it isn’t decided. Loss.
50-28
4/6/25 Rockets at Warriors. The Rockets don’t typically beat Golden State, but Golden State might be their playoff matchup. Still this is Golden State at home, and they’re a lot more famous, and the Rockets just find ways to lose to them. Loss.
50-29
4/9/25 Rockets at Clippers. Will Kawhi be playing, or out again? Who knows? I think even with a good, but diminished Kawhi, the Rockets are just a bad matchup for the Clippers, being largely bigger and more athletic everywhere, with more depth. Win.
51-29
4/11/25 Rockets at Lakers. The Rockets shock the Lakers, as this is only an NBAtv game. Udoka has now processed certain advantages the Rockets have over the Lakers, besides, of course, sheer manliness. That is, the Lakers can only defend well at peak intensity. The Rockets have the depth to overcome that intensity with still more intensity of their own, without getting so damn tired. Win.
52-29
4/13/25 Nuggets at Rockets. Both teams know their playoff fate. Denver and Houston rest literally everyone. The Rockets depth is better than Denver’s depth with everyone resting, and Denver just doesn’t care about this one. It’s not their first rodeo. Rockets hold 2nd place in the West, play Clippers, probably. Win.
53-29 Final Regular Season Record
Of course take these predictions for what they are worth, almost nothing. Please do not place wagers on the basis of this article.
53 wins is a great outcome for the season, one we can be happy to achieve, especially if the team holds on to home court advantage in at least the first round.
What say you?