The Rockets Have Been Lapped By Their Rivals

The histories of the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been tied together as an underrated part of the league's wider history.

The Spurs and the Rockets have a well documented rivalry. Two Texas teams with All-Time players and legacies of winning, along with the direct rivalry between David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon when the Rockets had the most championships in Texas. The Spurs drafted Tim Duncan and a few other Spurs legends to overtake the Rockets and become the premier team in the state.

After homegrown star Kawhi Leonard left for Toronto in 2018, the Spurs fell to mediocrity for several seasons, before dropping to outright poor play after 2021. The Rockets had their moments during the 2010s, and at some points had a claim as the best Texas team. However, they never paid that promise off with a championship.

The Thunder played a big part in the Rockets' resurgence in the mid 2010s, trading James Harden to the Rockets to focus on building around Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Harden would bring the Rockets to two Western Conference Finals, an MVP, and won less than 50 games just once, excluding a COVID shortened 2020 season. However, even during the Harden-era, the Spurs were able to win their fifth championship and match WCF appearances that paired with Finals appearances as well.

The Thunder's influence didn't stop with Harden, as the Rockets now have two centers on the roster who were involved in draft day trades between the two teams. Steven Adams and Alperen Şengün were both the result of trades between the Thunder and the Rockets. Adams began his career with the Thunder using Houston's pick, and the reverse was true for Şengün.

That year was the official beginning of the 'rebuild' portion of Houston's dismal 2020s. However, the Spurs and the Thunder were in the same boat, trying to find ways to move on after losing star players.

Ironically, the Rockets and Thunder competed one last time in the postseason to start the decade, with former Thunder stars Harden and Westbrook taking a close, 7-game series over their former team as members of the Rockets.

After that year, both teams fell to the bottom of the league where the Spurs were already patiently waiting.

With all teams equal to start the decade, how are the Rockets now behind both in terms of their claim on contention?

The Thunder benefitted from making a trade for a young guard who would eventually grow to become an MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, similar to how the Rockets made the same move for Harden earlier in the decade.

As the Thunder acquired assets and built around their newfound star, they've been able to develop one of the most elite defensive teams ever. They now have a real chance at matching Houston's back-to-back championships with back-to-back Finals victories of their own.

The Spurs have also leapfrogged the Rockets, winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes to gain a franchise-altering No. 1 overall pick.

The Rockets haven't netted a player the same caliber as Gilgeous-Alexander or Wembanyama, two players who currently have the highest odds to win an NBA championship this year. The Rockets instead went with a talent by committee approach, not having anyone player to do most of their damage, outside of former Thunder player Durant.

To catch up to what their rivals may be for the rest of the decade, the Rockets must find a way to maximize their current talent. Houston still has a strong team that should be able to compete, however, the Spurs and the Thunder have lapped the Rockets in terms of success, and there's no clear answer on when the Rockets may be able to get back into the race.

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