Can Rockets contend in more competitive Western Conference?
The Rockets inarguably improved their roster this summer, adding Ty Lawson and Marcus Thornton and drafting two players who can potentially crack the rotation.
All their youngsters should be even better, too. Donatas Motiejunas, Clint Capela and Terrence Jones still have plenty of room to grow. But is this enough to compete in a Western Conference that should be even tougher than last year? Bleacher Report's Kelly Scaletta has a look:
"I fully expect Houston, San Antonio and Golden State to be the top three seeds in the Western Conference playoff bracket, and they could finish in any order. They have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, and any of them could represent the West in the NBA Finals. The Clippers, Thunder and Pelicans will claim the next three spots."
The article goes into much further detail about how each team matches up with Houston, and it's clear things will be a lot tougher than in years past for everyone involved.
But the Rockets have as good a shot as anyone at coming out of the Western Conference. They just need to stay healthy.
(h/t: Bleacher Report)
