Rockets can Learn a Valuable Lesson from the Spurs This Offseason

The Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs were polar opposites. On more fronts than one.

The Spurs had depth. The Rockets were top-heavy, behind Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson.

Durant was arguably the only consistent player and he was acknowledged for it, having made the All-NBA team. Granted, the other three are rising young players around the league.

The Spurs, however, had eight players average double figures in scoring (which includes Harrison Barnes, who averaged 9.9 points). No other contending team in the Western Conference had more such players.

The Rockets had six. Four of them are wings --Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason. Rockets coach Ime Udoka addressed the team's duplicate skillsets on the roster.

The Spurs had more of a mix of skillsets on the roster. San Antonio has wings, guards and bigs.

And outside shooters. And ball handlers. The biggest piece is obviously Victor Wembanyama -- their superstar. The Rockets don't exactly have that, sure.

Chalk it up to luck in the draft lottery. But the Spurs and Rockets started rebuilding around the same time. And both teams had ugly tanking years (winning 20+ games).

It was absolutely awful. However, the Spurs hit on some key draft picks. Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Wembanyama -- although they didn't have a decision to make on Wembanyama.

Anyone who landed that pick was going to be making that selection. So we can't exactly give them credit for that.

But buy and large, a multitude of different skillsets. They certainly had draft misses -- Josh Primo and Jeremy Sochan come to mind.

Much like the Rockets. TyTy Washington, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba are all exhibit A.

However, their hits far outweighed their misses. Which can be said about the Rockets too.

The Rockets have sought a specific player profile throughout the draft, whereas it seems as if the Spurs drafted to fit skillset needs and/or holes on the roster.

Which makes a difference. The Spurs jumped on the opportunity to add a proven star player in De'Aaron Fox and may have jumped the gun a bit on that.

Especially when considering the extension that was doled out to him -- $229 million over four years -- which hasn't even kicked in yet. The Rockets haven't yet traded for a young (relatively) superstar.

Nor have they made an all-in move. To that degree, at least. There's been talk about Houston being willing and interested in making a move of this magnitude this offseason.

But the Rockets could learn another lesson from the Spurs here. Making the wrong trade could be a fatal blow.

Not only would it cost you assets to get such a player, but it would cost you additional assets to offload said player, if it doesn't work out after executing said deal.

The Spurs can provide a few lessons for the Rockets, on the roster building front.

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