4 teams that had a worse 2021 season than the Toronto Raptors

4. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets have a problem. In 2021, they lost James Harden to a multi-team deal sending the perennial MVP candidate to the Brooklyn Nets despite trading to acquire John Wall. The Rockets also added former MIP in 2018 Victor Oladipo before subsequently trading him to Miami.

Despite being a favorite in the Western Conference the past few years and a Conference Finalist in 2018, the Rockets have failed to claim the title as the best team in the West and make a Finals appearance. They finished 2021 17-55, the worst record in the NBA, and may secure the best selection at the 2021 Draft.

James Harden really wanted out of Houston, turning down a two-year $103 million contract extension. The good part of his eventual trade away from Houston is the Rockets loaded up on draft picks.

They own four in 2021 pending draft-day deals. The future is bright as they acquired first-round picks in 2022, 2024, and 2026 and swaps in 2021, 2023, 2025, and 2027 from Brooklyn.

Is the future bright in Houston?

Further, the extreme version of small-ball experiment that was employed last season in Houston is gone when they went nearly all season without a true 7-footer on the roster. Also, they are not paying $41.25 million to Harden alone despite his immense talents, which means they can distribute their salary to a mix of talent.

With Christian Wood hopefully healthy for next season, John Wall at the point guard spot, and an army of draft assets to restock their roster, Houston can turn the page on a horrible 2021 quickly. The Rockets split a pair of games with the Raptors this season, and like Toronto will miss the NBA playoffs, but for Houston, the last time this occurred was in 2012.

As bad as things were for Toronto this year, management managed to keep their core group of players together, and a return to the friendly comfort of home in Toronto will mean better results in 2022.