The 2024-25 Houston Rockets’ Season Preview
September 5th, 2024
by Alan Lu
The Houston Rockets quietly had a solid season in 2024, as it went better than expected, even though they still ended up missing the playoffs. Fred VanVleet had a strong bounce back season after struggling with his efficiency in his final year in Toronto, and Alperen Sengun had a very good third season in the NBA, in which he posted averages of 21.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. The Rockets’ young players were also able to make positive contributions to this team, as Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore looked like rising stars in the future. The Rockets’ team defense significantly improved under new head coach Ime Udoka. Though they missed the playoffs, the Rockets were able to go 41-41, and they will look to build off of it in 2025.
Alperen Sengun is one of the best young stars in the NBA right now, and he had a really good 2023-24 NBA season. (Photo: The Canadian Press, via TSN)
Star Players:
C Alperen Sengun and G Fred VanVleet
Alperen Sengen is a very skilled, cerebral big man that can score in the post, is a gifted passing big man, and he is also a solid rebounder. He’s quietly been one of the best young players in the NBA, and he put up very good numbers for Houston in 2024.
Fred VanVleet had a strong bounce back season, as he made 39% of his threes in 2024, averaged 17.4 points and 8.1 assists per game, and he played well on both ends of the floor to make Houston a competitive team on a nightly basis. He’s been a solid starter in the league for many years, and as he was a member of the 2019 Toronto Raptors’ championship team, he will be one of the best players on the Rockets once again this season.
Additions:
G Reed Sheppard and F AJ Griffin
The Rockets added some much needed depth at the point guard position, and they were able to add a very skilled rookie guard in Reed Sheppard, whose high basketball IQ and strong offensive skills, and ability to make defensive plays could enable him to make a strong impact to Houston right away. While the Summer Leagues aren’t always indicative of future regular season performances, Sheppard’s strong skill set should benefit Houston significantly.
AJ Griffin had a strong rookie season in 2023, but he had a disastrous second season in 2024, as he suddenly couldn’t knock down shots in the NBA and some have seemingly derided his defensive performance (via Joe Schmidt from PeachTree Hoops), and it didn’t help that he seemed to be Nate McMillan’s guy and not Quin Snyder’s, and Griffin’s lack of production landed him in Snyder’s doghouse all season long. But he also wasn’t starting in the G-League, so it was clear that Griffin needed a change of scenery. While there are no guarantees that he’ll even crack the rotation in 2025, trading for Griffin seems to be a solid, fairly low risk play that could pay huge dividends if they’re somehow able to get him to be the rookie year AJ Griffin, and not the second season, sophomore slump version of himself.
Subtractions:
G-F Reggie Bullock and C Boban Marjanovic
The Rockets lost a 3 and D role player in Bullock and a backup center in Boban Marjanovic, and while their presence may be missed, the Rockets have more than enough depth to comfortably replace them on their team.
Rookies:
Reed Sheppard’s strong freshman season and Summer League performances makes him the early favorite for the Rookie of the Year award, and some may wonder if he should’ve went first overall in the 2024 draft. (Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA Today Sports, via The Dunk Central)
Reed Sheppard is a gifted sharpshooting combo guard that can excel either at the point or off the ball, and he is coming off a strong freshman season and Summer League performance. He is a smooth playmaker that plays wise beyond his years, and he could end up winning Rookie of the Year honors in 2025.
Expected Rotation:
Former NBA All-Star point guard, Fred VanVleet had a solid season last year in his first year with the Houston Rockets. (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images, via Rockets Wire – USA Today Sports)
Houston has a mix of young promising prospects and veterans, and they could surprise people in 2025.
Projected Starting Lineup:
Key Bench Players:
Amen Thompson had a strong rookie season, and what he lacks in three-point shooting, he brings everything else to the table. He’s a downhill driver that scores efficiently, and is a solid playmaker and defender that has immense potential, as he could be a rising star in this league.
(Photo: John Shapely/Houston Chronicle)
The Houston Rockets have a talented, but rather inexperienced bench. They have a lot of first round picks from the past few years, and they also have experienced veterans such as Steven Adams (who missed all of last season) to help guide them through the season.
G-F Amen Thompson
The Rest of the Roster:
G-F Jae’Sean Tate
G-F AJ Griffin
C N’Faly Dante (Two-Way)
G Jack McVeigh (Two-Way)
G-F Nate Williams Jr. (formerly Jeenathan Williams) (Two-Way)
Others in Camp:
G-F Nate Hinton
Team Options at the End of the 2025 Season:
Here I will project the likelihood of the Houston Rockets to pick up and accept or decline the team options for various players at the end of the 2025 season.
Fred VanVleet – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Jabari Smith Jr. – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Amen Thompson – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Tari Eason – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Cam Whitmore – Team Option Will Likely Be Accepted (100% Certainty)
Aaron Holiday – 50/50, Leaning Towards That It Will Be Accepted (50% Certainty)
AJ Griffin – 50/50, Leaning Towards That It Will Be Accepted (50% Certainty)
Head Coach:
Ime Udoka led the Rockets to more wins than expected as they exceeded expectations, and Udoka has proven himself to be a solid coach in this league. (Photo: Gary A. Vasquez/USA Today Sports, via Sports Illustrated)
Ime Udoka
2023-24 (HOU): 41-41, missed the playoffs
Career: 92-72, 14-10 in the NBA Playoffs
Ime Udoka led the 2024 Houston Rockets to more wins than expected, and he’s proven that he’s one of the best young coaches in the NBA right now. He reached the NBA Finals in his first season as a head coach, and he’s given the Rockets’ fan base hope that the postseason could be in reach as early as this season. The Western Conference is extremely competitive so there are no guarantees that the Rockets will make it that far, but Udoka has shown that he can more than ably hold his own as a coach in this league.
NBA Head Coach Rank: 10
Outlook:
The Houston Rockets may still be in their rebuilding stages, but they have upgraded their talent level, and they could end up making the playoffs some time in the future.
(Photo: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images, via The Athletic)
The Houston Rockets have a solid mix of veterans and promising young talent, and they made the leap to become competitive last season. They’ll face a tough task of trying to make another leap this season in the very competitive Western Conference, and it’s not a lock for them the reach the play-in tournament. Still, they have an intriguing, up-and-coming team that could factor into the mix down the stretch, and the Rockets should be fun to watch both this season and in future seasons.
Projected 2024-25 Finish:
Expected Win-Loss Record: 40-42
Projected Regular Season Finish: 11th in the Western Conference
Expected Playoff Finish: Projected to miss the playoffs
Preseason NBA Power Ranking: 21
I went to Basketball-Reference and SalarySwish to look up some information for this write-up. It will be an exciting basketball season this year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the upcoming season will unfold. Anyways, that is my write-up on my preview of the 2024-25 Houston Rockets. Thanks for reading.