To get 4 top 4 picks and not a single one become a franchise player is definitely underwhelming

Hilarious that the Rockets went through an entire rebuild after losing series’ to Curry and the Warriors and LeBron and the Lakers only to return to the playoffs and lose more series’ to Curry and the Warriors and LeBron and the Lakers (only this time those teams are far less talented). Incredible stuff really.

Let them lose the series first lol

I don’t think it’s a complete failure. Rebuild success isn’t necessarily a championship or bust thing. They got a few talented young players and have made the playoffs a couple times. Sometimes that all you can really ask for. They did end up with lots of assets they can trade and retool this roster around if they want to.

A complete failure would have been drafting all busts and not even making the playoffs.

The thing about a series is that it doesn’t end after the home team wins 2 games, despite fans every year forgetting this. This game was more competitive than the blowout the Suns put on the Mavericks to go up 2-0 in 2022, and we all know how that series ended.

ok I understand Lakers are up 2-0, but they just defend home court, they, this can totally shift, can we wait until Lakers actually win the series before making this kind of post.

Let go of harden? I thought he wanted out after he saw they couldn’t compete

Yeah they don’t have a true number 1 option out of those picks

“I am the Alpha and Omega…” Bron to the Rockets, probably

LeBron has many sons. Bronny, Bryce, Kevin, Russell, James, etc.

They were so excited to get matched up with the Lakers, cause “they’ll definitely win without Luka and AR.” Only to fall behind 2-0. Jeez

They lost G1 without Durant, and G2 with him and his 9 TOs. Their weakness right now is the lack of a true PG who can perform at a playoff level. Thats largely due to the fact that they put a lot of resources and capital into FVV, who is injured and Sheppard, who hasn’t been developed into a playoff level PG.

Thats to say, I dont think they have failed in their rebuild, but they definitely ran into the wrong team at the wrong time for them.

They are also likely going to come out of their rebuild behind two teams who were also rebuilding in SA and Portland (potentially controversial take).

Stone completely botched the rebuild. Drafted the most mid ass core of players, then traded one of them for the absolute worst guy to mentor a group of young players. Durant is going to demand a trade this offseason, then we’re gonna be stuck with a team that will go 42-40 for the foreseeable future with no shot at drafting the next franchise player.

I’ve never been more depressed as a Rockets fan than I am now

To be fair, Houston already kinda got their revenge for the 2020 playoff loss by foisting Westbrook on us two years later

Also Curry in 2019 and then losing again last year to them.

Rocket’s talent isn’t even the problem, its how the roster is built and the lack of extremely critical playoff skills like shooting that they don’t have and unfortunately their stars won’t be able to develop that.

Rockets are a failure

the jazz blew up their roster because they were sick of second round exits and after four years of horrific sucking are now going all in on a team thats got a second round ceiling

??? did harden not force a trade that triggered the rebuild?

Rockets should be pressuring Luke and Marcus every possession

FVV and Steven Adams got hurt. It’s not a failure it’s bad luck and it happens to a few teams every year.

I wouldn’t say it’s bad management they just have some horrible luck, if they would have gotten the number one pick in 2021-2023 they would be so much better. They did fumble in 2021 by picking green tho so eh. Also im gonna be honest with this, if we never lucked out in the lottery in 2021 the pistons would be so bad right now, that’s why I think the rockets should get some leeway from all the criticism

Their 6 year plan to beat the lakers in the playoffs is falling apart

/s

LeRocket

Yes. Rockets will get swept.

I mean normally I’d say you need to see this team whole to know given they don’t have a PG and it’s very telling seeing them play without one. But yes it does appear they did miss the mark on the rebuild. Thankfully they didn’t go crazy on giving up a lot for KD, so I believe they can continue rebuilding if they do decide to move off KD. My guess is they run it back and then see what happens, but they clearly won’t be a contender.

Depends on the definition of failure. IMO as long as you put yourself in position to seriously contend, I don’t call that a failure. There’s too much luck/variables to guarantee a championship.

They drafted okay-ish, no crazy reaches.

I understand the Durant trade, before the FVV injury, they were considered fairly serious contenders.I don’t think many thought Dillion Brooks would have taken the leap he did, and Green, while playing well recently, spent a lot of the season meh or injured.

Their roster isn’t perfect, but it’s not THAT poorly constructed. Maybe they could have traded Jabari for JJJ for some rim protection? Not sure, but I think they have a pretty good core.

So I won’t say it’s an outright failure, if FVV was healthy and they were in the same position they are in now, then I’d say it was.

But this year the Lakers lose in the 2nd round, at least

The Rockets rushed the rebuild in my opinion. They needed like 1-2 years of mediocre to bad years so that they could potentially get a great draft pick that can make them a contender.

>Insert Thanos’ inevitable meme.

Too early

Was the Rockets rebuild a failure?

No

Funny how they got the big three from thunder 2012 and it still doesn’t work

Dread it. Run from it. LeBron arrives all the same

Could have said “down 0-2 to LeBron “

Their rebuild is a failure and even worse than what the Grizzlies had. They never landed a #1 overall pick in a good draft. Their top 4 picks have all been busts so far in terms of franchise star level and the player they’re building around is an undersized center who can’t defense or shoot. Their GM deserves to be fired along with their head coach but their cheap owner just gave them both lengthy extensions so it’s unlikely this ship is going anywhere anytime soon.

Lebronto in the west?

I’m not a KD hater at all, but I do find some joy in the fact that the Suns and Rockets will both likely be first round exits. Houston’s is more embarrassing though, by far. We’re getting our asses whooped by the defending champs at full strength, after a season where we massively overachieved expectations.

Houston was supposed to be a contending team, and now they are losing to a team missing 2 of their 3 best players, one of them being Luka.

I said Houston wouldn’t win a series this year but didn’t expect THIS

I mean what else were they supposed to do, ride with Westbrook who was clearly washed as a star player soon after? Harden was played out at that point even if still a great player. They had to hit the restart button. They messed up declining Allen and asking for another pick instead and missed on their picks but I can’t fault them at all for trying

So?

Hey! I remember that series. Harden and Westbrook were extremely careless with the basketball all series, throwing the ball right into ADs hands over and over.

And in 2026… the Rockets are also, extremely careless with the basketball, choosing to throw it into Marcus Smarts hands over and over

Could’ve just kept harden

Brings a smile to my face

No.

• 2021: They got JG & Sengun in the draft. Signed Tate as a UDFA.

• 2022: got JSJ & Tari Eason in the draft.

• 2023: Drafted Amen Thompson & Cam Whitmore. Signed Dillon Brooks & Fred VanVleet.

• 2024: Drafted Reed Sheppard. In addition, the Rockets traded the draft picks they received from the James Harden trade to Brooklyn in exchange for picks from Phoenix.

The Rockets retained the right to swap picks from the Harden trade , meaning they could have a lottery pick in 2026.

2025: back in the playoffs but traded several young players and the before mentioned draft picks for Kevin Durant

They’ve been consistently performing well, getting 52-30 record two years in a row.

And, importantly, they nailed their draft picks selections.

Furthermore, One of their best players Sengun proved to be someone the scouting department had already thoroughly researched. The picks they traded to get him were worth it.

So, it’s definitely not a failure.

Well.. it doesn’t help that the lakers were gifted a top 3 player

lol I wish both teams could lose honestly, but Houston coming back from being down 2-0 against the lakers might just feed my family for the remainder of the year.

We didn’t “let go” of Harden. He quit on the team and forced his way out after the franchise gave him everything he asked for while he delivered nothing but no shows in the playoffs.

Get downvoted kid

No one actually thinks the Rockets are going to lose the series…right?