John Voita is the Managing Editor of Bright Side of the Sun, co-host of the Suns JAM Session Podcast, and has been a credentialed member of the Phoenix media since 2023.
As teams begin to bow out of the NBA postseason, a familiar ritual begins. Internal reflection. A first-round exit stings. It tells you you’re close, but not close enough. Something’s off. A tweak, a shift in philosophy, a calculated gamble, that’s often what separates a seven-game loss from a deep playoff run.
The Houston Rockets find themselves at that crossroads. After a breakout 52–30 season and clinching the West’s second seed, they were bounced in Round 1 by the Golden State Warriors.