NBA Free agency has come before us. The Houston Rockets were expected to make significant moves to make a dramatic push to playoff contention. General manager Rafael Stone has been rather hesitant pulling the trigger to acquire an All-Star or two to bolster their roster, a style of managing he’s been holding onto since February last season.
Nearly two weeks after the NBA draft, the Rockets have made minor acquisitions. Namely, a couple of Phoenix Suns picks, re-signed backup guard Aaron Holiday, and traded for bench wingman AJ Griffin. On a big-picture scheme, it’s been nothing but crickets.
Staying the Course
Back in February, the Rockets were initially supposed to make a big trade splash and acquire a key piece for an attempted playoff push. Guard Jalen Green’s inconsistency was eerily noticeable, and their once strong start in the first 30 games was followed by a steady freefall out of a play-in slot.
This “blockbuster move” ended up being Steven Adams, who was already ruled out for the remainder of the season. Fast forward to now, and he is fully healthy, ready for his first year in a Rockets uniform.
Overall, the Rockets played it safe. Focusing on the young core and relying on their development to see what kind of improvements they’ve made to finish off the season is a long term goal move. It’s arguable that any drastic trades could have thwarted the overall rosters progression.
Rockets shifting to offseason?
Above all else, it turned out to be a sensible decision, as they had their best win-loss turnaround, finishing at .500 after three straight losing seasons. Best to wait till the offseason and see how much leverage the Rockets get at the draft lottery, right?
It initially appeared that way. Days before the NBA draft, the conversations centering around trading for Suns Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, Pelicans’ Zion Williamson, and Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell were the talk of the town. Rockets fans were beaming at the sight of acquiring any one of these All-Stars to dramatically boost the Rockets’ playoff chances in the upcoming season.
Well, nothing happened. The draft came and went. In a rather anti-climactic move, the Rockets kept their draft pick, drafting Kentucky Wildcat combo guard Reed Sheppard at the third overall pick.
Sheppard has immense potential
Nevertheless, it’s a solid pick. Houston needs more shooting, and Sheppard can be that guy. The Wildcat product shot over 52% on 3-pointers during his lone collegiate season at Kentucky. If he can translate this to the NBA level seamlessly, this could be huge for Houston’s overall three-point development.
As a team, the Rockets shot just 35.2% from downtown, which was 23rd in the league last season. To make things more murky, Sheppard signed a multi-year rookie deal with Houston as well, indicating Stone’s decision to retain his development in a Rockets uniform.
“One of our main objectives in the offseason was to improve [our shooting],” Udoka said. “That’s obviously one of his strengths that’s carried over throughout his whole career. When we had him in person we saw that immediately. … “He’ll address [the shooting concerns] immediately.”
Rockets fans will witness Sheppard making his Summer League debut against another highly televised player in Bronny James, son of LeBron James on Friday, July 12th.
Why the Rockets should be content with their roster
So where is the blockbuster trade that fans originally came to expect? Rockets general manager Rafael Stone is completely aware of the leverage he has over the past three seasons. Retaining the multiple picks from the Brooklyn Nets via the infamous James Harden trade and a couple of Phoenix Suns picks recently has him set up for a splash trade if deemed necessary.
Many teams who have kept their young core to develop while surrounding them with veterans the right way has been successful. Examples such as the Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, and the recent NBA champion Boston Celtics have followed this method, producing strong results. Their playoff window spanned longer than organizations deciding to take shortcuts, pairing established stars together instead.
Ultimate leverage
Via Kelly Iko of the Athletic, Stone is content with where his team currently resides. “We’re comfortable with our team and we think we’re going to improve internally,” Stone admitted. “Because of that, I don’t think we’re likely to be super aggressive. It doesn’t mean we won’t listen. And it doesn’t mean if we think that there’s a unique opportunity, we won’t jump at it.”
Stone has all the power to flip the switch and make a change to the Rockets’ trajectory in a big way. For right now, the primary focus is the cornerstones in Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun.
Specifically Green, who, aside from the last couple of months of the season, was an inconsistent non-factor for the Rockets. The Rockets truly believe running it back with the same young core is the more optimal move for the team’s future.