The first to last becomes second in the West! In just 3 years, the Rockets have improved 14 places, Stone signs + draft picks to make contributions

Last season, the Rockets scored 52 wins and 30 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference; among the 30 teams in the NBA, the record is also fourth. Although the Rockets' offensive end is not effective, the Rockets are the top 5 teams in the league in defense. The Rockets are both the first in the league in rebounds, especially in frontcourt rebounds. With Uduka's efforts, the Rockets have become an absolute defensive team. On the offensive end, they also brought in super scorer Kevin Durant this summer. The arrival of Durant not only makes the Rockets stronger in the playoffs, but also gives the Rockets finally a backbone on the offensive end. No matter what kind of defense he faces, Durant can easily resolve it because he is one of the best scorers in the NBA, averaging 26 points last season and was able to send 4 assists. Durant's arrival also gives the Rockets a chance to compete for the championship next season. Well, the Rockets have become one of the best teams in the NBA next season.

However, three years ago, the Rockets were still recognized as the bottom team in the NBA, and their overall strength was quite weak. Not only are there no stars, but the Rockets' young players have not played. At that time, the Rockets had new players such as Jaylen Green and Porter Jr., but these new players did not play much role in winning.

The Rockets' head coach at that time was Silas, who was a rookie coach. Although he has been an assistant coach for many years, it is the first time for Silas to be the head coach of a team. Under the leadership of Silas, the Rockets have basically ranked at the bottom of the West for three consecutive years, and their continuous bad performance has also won many high picks for the Rockets.

Three years ago, in the 2022 season, the Houston Rockets ranked last in the West, while the Thunder were second to last. The two teams began to rebuild at that time. They were also in trouble in their record, ranking first to last in the West. Now, three years later, these two teams have become the top teams in the NBA.

The Thunder just won the NBA championship last season, and Alexander became a superstar in the NBA and won the MVP. Young players like Homegren and Jaylen Williams have also grown further and won maximum salaries. Caruso, who was exchanged for last season and Haltenstein signed, also made the Thunder's defensive ability stronger.

The Rockets won second in the Western Conference last season with their team basketball and defensive system. They went from being the last to becoming the second in the West now, and ranked 14th in three years. It has to be said that this is a huge miracle. The Rockets and Thunder are rebuilding very quickly, and the reason why the Rockets can successfully rebuild so quickly is closely related to Stone's actions in the draft and signings.

Over the years, the Rockets have won many outstanding young players, such as Shin Kyung, Ethan, Amen Thompson, Smith Jr., and Jaylen Green who was sent away. In terms of trading and signing, the Rockets also received veterans such as Van Vreett, Dillon Brooks, Durant, Holiday, and Jeff Green.

The new and old players were pinched together by Uduka, forming huge combat power, which is also an important reason why the Rockets were able to become the second highest in the West last season. Therefore, Manager Stone is the biggest contributor to the Rockets' re-emergence. The replacement of Silas to Uduka, the Rockets coach's replacement has also brought great help to the team's improvement.