Although the Houston Rockets have not made a blockbuster move, they have made a few changes to be more competitive in the upcoming NBA regular season.
These moves include signing players to add to the roster depth and hiring Chip Engelland. During the off-season, the Rockets have signed Bruce Thornton and Marcus Smart .
The veteran Smart was added to bring in a defensive veteran at the point guard position who can be a role model and a leader to Houston's promising prospects. The expectation is that he is unlikely to play a lot of minutes in the upcoming regular season, but his NBA Playoff experience that he gained playing for the Boston Celtics will allow the team to rely on him in the postseason and give him more minutes if necessary.
On the other hand, Thornton is more of a wildcard. Being a rookie, his role for the team is uncertain, and his potential carries variability. Thornton will have to earn his minutes during the regular season, but he is off to a strong start with his impressive performances in the NBA Summer League. Although Thornton holds a lot of promise, it is still unlikely that he will have a big impact on the Rockets' chances to win the upcoming Western Conference.
Chip Engelland was recently hired by Houston, and his impressive track record suggests that he will vastly improve the team's shooting. However, his contributions will likely need a significant portion of time before they start to come to fruition. Engelland's impact will take at least a couple of months to begin, but since the NBA season is so long, his coaching methods should have a strong effect over the second half of the season.
These changes have brought the Rockets to now be ranked the fifth most likely team to win the NBA Western Conference according to FanDuel. The Rockets have leapfrogged both the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers . There are rumors circulating about a big blockbuster in Golden State, which could change the projections, but that remains to be seen. The Lakers have just lost LeBron James to Philadelphia , which is a reason for the Rockets surpassing them.
If Houston keeps taking these small steps toward being a true contender in the West, it might not need to make a big blockbuster trade to compete. How close are the Rockets to being true contenders in a stacked Western Conference?
