Houston Rockets Championship Odds 2022-2023

The current Houston Rockets NBA championship odds are . Houston has had back-to-back “home run” drafts in 2021 and 2022; it drafted Jalen Green, Josh Christopher, Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr, and TyTy Washington. Green has already flashed All-Star potential, while Sengun looks the part of a future franchise center. Meanwhile, Christopher had flashes throughout the season and should continue to progress in his development; his scoring prowess is already apparent. Houston shifted its focus in this year’s draft by selecting two high-ceiling defenders in Smith and Eason. Defense is undoubtedly the Rockets’ biggest weakness, and hopefully, those two can elevate the team’s play on that end of the floor!

Houston Rockets NBA Championship Odds & Futures 2022-23

In the table below, you will see all of Houston’s available futures, with the best odds highlighted! Whether you want to bet on the Rockets’ championship odds, conference odds, division odds, or win total is up to you.

Houston has had two impressive drafts in the past two years; however, it will take more than just drafting talented players to become a contender in the future. The Rockets’ organization is not in great shape as they have had internal issues between coaches and players feuding at halftime and players refusing to check into games that they are being paid a ridiculous amount of money to play. In short, it’s hard to envy an organization without control over its players or an established culture. Houston’s odds of winning the championship or Western Conference this season are virtually zero for these reasons, but that does not mean it can’t turn it around in the next few years with this strong, young core it has acquired through the draft.

Reasons Why Houston Rockets Can & Can’t Win NBA 2022-23 Championship

Strengths

• Athleticism: Few teams have a starting backcourt more athletic than the Houston Rockets. Kevin Porter Jr and Jalen Green have show-stopping athleticism that especially shines in the fast break (highlighted by their pace of play.)
• Shot-Making: If you watch Houston’s highlights from last season, one thing will be blatantly evident: Green and KPJ are elite shot-makers. It didn’t matter if the Rockets were at the end of the shot clock with seemingly no good looks because those two consistently made something out of nothing. Both players are still incredibly young and have room to grow, so Rockets fans should be pleased about the future if they continue to grow and mature.

Weaknesses

• Experience: Four of Houston’s five projected starters are 22 years old or younger, which is excellent for its long-term rebuild but will not serve it well during the regular season. This lack of experience hurts the Rockets’ chances of winning a championship anytime in the next few years; very few teams in the history of the NBA have won championships with this many young guys. Houston needs to experience a few playoff runs before it has a shot of advancing, and even then, the playoffs are not in the cards for a while.
• Maturity: Most would agree that Houston has one of the least mature teams in the NBA. This can be significantly attributed to age and culture, but it still is an inhibitor to the ultimate goal: a championship. Kevin Porter Jr is one of the team’s lead guards yet has had several incidents since being in the NBA, including walking out of a game at halftime. KPJ is still in his early 20s, so there is plenty of time for him to grow out of this and become a leader, but it is not present now. The other player on the team that caused some issues was Christian Wood, but he has since been traded.
• Defense: How bad were the Houston Rockets on the defensive end of the floor? It’s hard even to quantify it, honestly. The Rockets finished 29th in defensive efficiency, defensive rating, and opponent eFG% (effective field goal percentage). Additionally, they allowed the most points to opposing power forwards and centers and the third-most to opposing point guards. The good news is that Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr will be high-impact defenders quickly at the next level, and Houston got rid of a defensive liability, Christian Wood.