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Can Rockets Compete For Play-In Tournament In 2023?
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets have a few expectations entering a new season for the first time in the post-James-Harden era. With Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr., the development of the Rockets' young core has the populace believing that Houston will not finish with the league's worst record for the third consecutive year.
Avoiding basketball purgatory in 2023 will be a significant step for the organization's rebuilding project. But the Rockets could be in consideration for the NBA's play-in tournament given the offseason changes to the western conference.
The conference went through a significant change Thursday afternoon. The Utah Jazz traded three-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for three players and five draft picks.
Mitchell's departure from the Jazz took place nearly a month after the franchise traded Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves. By dealing their centerpieces, the moves have sent the Jazz towards a rebuild ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, a franchise that finished fifth in the conference standings last season.
The offseason changes that plummeted Utah to the bottom of the conference also happened in San Antonio. After back-to-back seasons of finishing 10th in the western conference, the San Antonio Spurs traded All-Star guard Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks.
The Jazz and Spurs are in the foresee stages of a rebuild that could result in both organizations entering the sweepstakes for Victor Wembanyama.
With both franchises sitting towards the bottom of the western conference next to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Rockets could be in striking distance of the play-in tournament.
Entering training camp, winning between 30 to 35 games appears to be a realistic scenario for the Rockets, given that the franchise's young corps continues to develop rapidly.
Basketball Reference's projections for next season has Green and Porter averaging 20.0 and 18.2 points, respectively. Alperen Sengun is expected to average 17.2 points and 9.5 rebounds as his first season as Houston's starting center per 36 minutes.
During the 2021-22 campaign, the Spurs clinched the final play-in tournament spot with a 34-48 record.
The Los Angeles Lakers will likely move up in the standings with Utah and San Antonio no longer a part of post-season contention. But the Rockets could be amid the race for the 10th seed alongside the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers, who finished 11th and 12th last season.
The Rockets are still a long way from cracking the top-six in the western conference, but competing for a spot in the play-in tournament would be a significant step forward in Houston's ongoing rebuild.
You can follow Coty Davis on Twitter @CotyDavis_24
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