2025 Pre Playoffs: Thunder & Rockets

I was right when I said OKC wouldn't make round 3 before the '24 playoffs due to bad rebounding. They were 27th on the boards and got beat by 16 in that category in their season ending loss. Hartenstien, who came in the 2024 offseason, averages 11 of them in 28 min thus the Thunder are 12th on the glass. Their inexperience coming into last year's postseason is gone which is why I think J-Dub will have games of at least 25 points to lighten SGA's load. He failed to do so in the prior postseason. Chet scored over 25 once in that time, 26 points, and I believe he'll play better too. Oklahoma City has the best point differential ever, a great defense, and is led by an MVP candidate (Shai would get my vote). Every aspect of basketball is performed at an elite level by at least 1 player. However, I predict the big skill gap the Lakers big 3 has over OKC's trio will get LA to the finals. The April games between them, before Luka's ejection, should concern the Thunder. 

Houston resembles the '23 Kings. The Rockets were below the play-in last year and so was Sacramento in 2022. Now Houston has home court advantage in round 1 as well as a division crown like those Kings. Winning a series with a lot of youth and inexperience is hard and Sacramento wasn't an exception and I don't think the Rockets are either. Houston is great defensively with a ton of athleticism but Sengun (I believe he'll be the A- version of Jokic in a few seasons) and Green (his athleticism, acrobatic ability, and shot making are similar to Ja) likely aren't good enough to lead a team to the semis like Fox was for those Kings. However, the Rockets won't be easy to play at all. The defensive perimeter trio of Amen (he has serious Giannis potential), Tari, and Brooks is great. They also have no pressure and have 7 guys averaging double digit points. Getting 52 wins in the west with that much youth probably means they'll be legit title contenders next year. 

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