Rockets Should Hope to Draw One Specific Playoff Opponent

The Houston Rockets will face a tough first-round playoff opponent, but there is one team they should hope to draw.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane dribbles as Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks defends. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets are awaiting their playoff fate as the regular season comes to a close over the next week or so.

The Rockets are likely set to finish with the No. 2 seed, which means they will face the winner of the first game of the Play-In Tournament.

There are only a handful of games separating the Rockets from these potential opponents, so any game will be difficult, but if there is an "easy" target, it would be the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies shockingly fired head coach Taylor Jenkins late last month in the midst of the playoff race, so there is a lot in flux in Memphis going into the playoffs.

The Grizzlies, like the Rockets, are returning to the playoffs after being in the lottery last year, so their experience levels are roughly the same.

Houston also won three of the four regular season contests against Memphis, with the lone loss coming by a single point against the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum.

The Rockets also have Dillon Brooks on the team, someone who has played with the Grizzlies for years. He has been to the playoffs with Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., and he can be a major contributor for the scouting report on how to defend all of those guys in the most optimal way.

Houston would be favored in a series against Memphis, but nobody in the playoffs should be taken lightly even after all of the issues that have surrounded the Grizzlies.