The Houston Rockets had the league’s worst record in the 2020-21 season, but they still have plenty of ties to the 2021 NBA playoffs.
A crippling wave of injuries, coupled with the forced departure of superstar guard James Harden, led to an abrupt decline for a franchise that entered 2020-21 with the league’s longest streak (eight years) of consecutive playoff berths. Many players who have recently moved on are well-known and disproportionately veterans, since Houston had a clear “win now” emphasis in trying to build a title contender around Harden.
As a result, while the Rockets aren’t in the 2021 playoffs, there has been no shortage of references to the franchise. Star players such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul have all held key roles, as have former coaches and executives like Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey.
With the 16-team playoff field now down to four in the conference finals for the East and West, here’s a look at how names from the last four Houston rosters (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21) have fared.
