Are the Houston Rockets lagging behind their competitors?

It’s tempting to think of the NBA as an arms race.

You see other teams making changes. You’d like your team to take a step forward. Otherwise, they’ll fall behind.

However, not all teams are competing in the same race. Some teams are sprinting, while others are running a marathon.

What pace should the Houston Rockets maintain?

It’s been a good summer for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

First, they traded Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso. Giddey is a divisive player. You might think he has star potential, and you might think his limitations will probably get the better of him.

Put that aside. Regardless, it’s almost certain that Caruso will have more of an impact on the Thunder’s wins than Giddey did last season. In the meantime, he’s not even the Thunder’s only major acquisition this summer.

Isaiah Hartenstein should boost their title chances. He’s one of the most underrated big men in the NBA. Should the Rockets be jealous of his power?

Not really.

Yes, the Thunder are young. They will be a problem for the Rockets going forward. They are not a major concern for Houston in 2024-25. The Thunder will be chasing an NBA title, while the Rockets will be fighting for the eighth spot.

The Rockets are becoming less and less of a contender. Paul George just left the Los Angeles Clippers. The Golden State Warriors seem doomed to lose Klay Thompson. Rumors indicate that the Jazz could trade Lauri Markkanen.

If they send him to the Spurs, it could be a long-term problem. The Rockets’ divisional rivals are a team that the Rockets are really competing with. So it’s a bit concerning from a Rockets perspective that the Spurs just signed Chris Paul. He’s likely to have a positive impact on Victor Wembanyama’s development.

Sure, Houston is ahead of San Antonio in its rebuild, but in a few years, they’ll ideally be on the path to the NBA Finals. It would be a huge disappointment if the Spurs outperform the Rockets in 2024-25, but that doesn’t matter — by 2027-28, they’ll both hopefully be in the NBA title race.

The bigger point is this: Talent is constantly on the move in this National Basketball Association. Some of it could be headed to Houston by the time the Rockets are ready to compete. The Rockets are wise to hold on to their assets for now and make marginal upgrades.

This team is ready to run a very tough marathon.