It’s not quite the No. 1 overall ranking given by The Athletic’s David Aldridge, but a new NBA offseason grades compilation by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton also speaks very positively to the Houston Rockets and the work done by second-year general manager Rafael Stone.
In explaining a B+ grade for the Rockets, Pelton writes:
Most likely, the Rockets will spend another season near or at the bottom of the West standings as they rebuild following the James Harden trade. This time around, Houston has a whole lot more young talent that could eventually develop into the next great Rockets core, including four first-round picks.
No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green looked as talented as any prospect during the Las Vegas Summer League and No. 16 pick Alperen Sengun showed why he was worth giving up two future picks to add. Fellow first-rounders Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba, the latter fresh off playing for Spain in the Olympics, had good moments as well.
Houston’s big veteran addition was Daniel Theis, whose four-year, $36 million deal is good value in terms of annual salary. As the Rockets’ young bigs develop, Theis could be a trade chip for them.
In addition to Theis, the Rockets also re-signed swingman David Nwaba to a deal worth up to $15 million over three years. As with Theis, Nwaba is very well regarded for his defense and toughness, which should fit well with the defensive culture that Stone and head coach Stephen Silas are clearly trying to establish around Houston’s young core.
Training camp for the 2021-22 season begins in late September, followed by an Oct. 5 start to the preseason and Oct. 20 for the regular season.
Completing offseason grades today with the Western Conference: https://t.co/7exCY5tqKs (ESPN+)
— Kevin Pelton (@kpelton) August 31, 2021
