The Houston Rockets are the team Reggie Miller thinks could quietly shake up the Western Conference.
With the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder still sitting near the top of the conversation after their Western Conference Finals meeting, Miller pointed to Houston as the group people may be overlooking. The Rockets have reshaped the picture around a young core led by Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Jabari Smith Jr., and Miller believes the right mix may be coming together.
“To me, the Houston Rockets, people aren’t talking about them enough,” Reggie Miller said during an NBC Sports conference call Wednesday. “Fred VanVleet is back, he's healthy.
To me that’s what they’ve been missing. They were missing that point guard leadership.
They tried to make Amen Thompson a point forward and he had success, but also growing pains at the same time.
“I think a smart pickup was Marcus Smart, who’s only going to help Amen Thompson defensively. The Houston Rockets still have Kevin Durant at the end of the day. I think the Houston Rockets could be one of those teams that upset the apple cart a little bit out West.”
Miller also tied Smart’s arrival to the defensive side of Houston’s outlook, noting the fit with Thompson could matter. Smart was a major factor in the Lakers’ playoff series win over the Rockets last postseason, which makes his addition to the roster even more interesting as Houston tries to sharpen its identity.
“Barring health at all, to me it’s OKC, it’s the Spurs and everyone else, but there could be some teams, lightning in a bottle just like the Knicks,” Miller continued. “To me it was a perfect storm for the Knicks.
They got hot at the absolute right time. Who can be the Knicks this year, getting hot at the absolute right time?”
Around the West, plenty of teams have made their own moves. The Minnesota Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball, the Los Angeles Lakers brought in Walker Kessler, and the Denver Nuggets added DeMar DeRozan. Even with that shuffle, Miller’s eyes are on Houston as the kind of team that could jump into the mix if everything clicks.
The Knicks, meanwhile, are set to open their title defense against the Philadelphia 76ers on opening night, when they’ll raise their 2025-26 NBA championship banner and receive their championship rings.
Houston will open its 2026-27 regular season at home against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, October 21. Last season, health got in the way for the Rockets, with Kevin Durant unavailable for most of their first-round playoff series.
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CBS Sports Sam Quinn has pointed out that Houston could be among the teams to watch if the Irving situation opens up, but the cost is where things get complicated. The sort of deal being discussed would require real roster sacrifice, and the Rockets may not be eager to part with one of their most promising young guards if they believe he belongs in the next wave of the rebuild. [Read more 🡒]
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The shot will come later, and Houston can live with that if Smart is doing the dirty work that has made him valuable throughout his career. The Rockets signed him to a two-year deal and clearly expect his grit, pressure and experience to help shape second-unit minutes, which is the kind of immediate imprint that tends to stand out quickly in the preseason even before the offense catches up. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin Durant Gives The Rockets A Real Chance To Change Everything
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The Rockets also have tried to give him a better fit around the edges, leaning into defense and athleticism to make sure his scoring is part of a bigger formula. Durants job, at least on paper, should stay familiar - carry the offense, bend defenses and make life easier for everyone else. The open question is whether the rest of the roster can finally supply enough support to turn all that production into the kind of playoff run that has so often slipped away. [Read more 🡒]