Ok, so I was wondering to myself yesterday at work. Obviously, work allows for plenty of deep thought when bored, and I was thinking of the goal of any NBA team. That is, to hoist a banner when the following season starts. Coming off a season where we (finally) got out of the first round, and an offseason that offers little hope for the coming season, I asked myself: when will the Rockets win another title?

OK, so obviously there are a lot of "what ifs" in the whole scheme of things. Of course, if the had stayed healthy during the Yao-T-Mac era, they could have competed for a title every year. Same goes for this year, with Artest in the fold. There's "what if the Rockets trade for a superstar?" or "what if in two years the whole team looks different?" Both are reasonable questions, but for the sake of this question, including all of the chances for injuries and trades, when can we win another one? Not just contend, but when do you think the Rockets will have another championship? The difference is important. Think carefully.

Also, keep in mind certain things, including age. The Rockets are relatively young now, and a core of Aaron Brooks (24), Trevor Ariza (24), and Carl Landry (25), just to name 3, could lead the Rockets to an elusive banner. However, remember this: LeBron James and Chris Paul are 24, Dwight Howard is 23, Chris Bosh, Brandon Roy, Carmelo Anthony, and Deron Williams are 25, Danny Granger is 26, Dwyane Wade and Tony Parker are 27, and Kevin Durant is 20! There's others, but you get the point. There are a lot of young players with a ton of potential. Tons of guys looking for a title to obtain a legacy. Oddly enough, the two oldest guys on the list are the only ones with titles.

So, here's how I see the poll options working out.

Next year: look, we would all love for the Rockets to even contend next year, but let's be honest. Barring a spectacular trade, we won't even be touching a second round (if the playoffs at all) next year. Only choose this if you think Morey will pull off the unthinkable, or that the youth of the Rockets, despite a lack of a star, can win a title.

In 2 years: this option looks possible. The young players of the Rockets develop next year, and the Rockets get back Yao and maybe a big-time free agent (Bosh, Joe Johnson, etc.) and have a realistic shot at a title. But, can we for certain say they will beat out other teams with title hopes?

In 3-5 years: you could say here lies a good window. I lumped them together because it's pretty similar. The youngsters will be entering their physical primes, Yao is just into his thirties, and other free agents or trade pickups have had time to gel with the team. Also, draft picks from seasons' past may become good.

In 6 or more years: here's where there are too many questions to keep a specific time range. It's depressing to think about our title hopes being on hold for more than five years. We hate to lose and think, "There's always next year," much less, "There's five years later." However, it's a viable option given the youth of the aforementioned superstars and the bad karma the Rockets experience every year. 

I know there are a lot of possibilities and that it's impossible to see the future, so don't leave a ton of comments along those lines. Of course there are a lot of intangibles: young players, the draft, injuries, trades, free agents, coaching changes, and many, many more. Just humor me and yourselves. Pick an answer, and by all means, leave a comment or two.

Poll

REALISTICALLY, when will the Rockets win another title?

4%

Next year

7 votes

29%

in 2 years

45 votes

50%

in 3-5 years

76 votes

15%

in 6 or more years

24 votes

152 votes | Poll has closed