NBA executive poll: Rafael Stone-led Rockets at No. 11 among best front offices

Posted by author December 11, 2024 NBA

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In The Athletic’s poll of NBA executives, the Rafael Stone-led Rockets came in at No. 11 in a ranking of the league’s 30 front offices.

In The Athletic’s new poll of 40 executives across the NBA — with job titles including president, general manager, vice president, and assistant general manager — the Houston Rockets were ranked at No. 11 among the league’s 30 front offices.

Each executive ranked their top five front offices, and he or she could not vote for their own team.

The summary of the Rockets’ front office ranking, as written and compiled by The Athletic’s Sam Amick, John Hollinger, and Mike Vorkunov, is as follows:

Houston has emerged as a force in the West this season after trading James Harden in 2021 and rebuilding through the draft under general manager Rafael Stone, nabbing young stars such as Alperen Şengün, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason. In 2023, the Rockets worked free agency to grab Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks as veteran linchpins and added an elite coach in Ime Udoka.

By rate of improvement, it could be argued that Stone and the Rockets deserve an even higher ranking. After going 22-60 in the 2022-23 season, Houston improved to 41-41 in 2023-24 and is off to a 16-8 start in 2024-25 — which currently ranks No. 3 in the Western Conference standings.

That trajectory of improvement and growth since hiring Udoka in April 2023 is essentially unmatched by any of the NBA’s other 29 franchises.

Yet, the Rockets still haven’t played a single postseason game since Stone took over as general manager in late 2020. They narrowly missed out on the West play-in tournament last season, and while they’re currently in strong position to make the 2025 playoffs while bypassing the play-in tournament altogether, they still have 58 games remaining of an 82-game regular season.

Ultimately, time will tell if Houston’s current form holds over a much larger sample, as well as whether it successfully translates to postseason play. If it does, external views of the front office should further improve.

But, for now, an above average ranking feels appropriate. There’s an argument that it could soon be higher, but Stone and the Rockets will need at least some postseason success and/or experience to validate a higher spot.

The Athletic’s complete front-office rankings list, which features Oklahoma City and defending NBA champion Boston at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, can be viewed here.