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NBA schedule release is a weird tradition we have in sports. For the NBA, we historically didn't care as much as do about it today. It may have stemmed from fans wanting to see their favorite teams play on the league's marquee dates (Christmas Day, MLK Day, etc…). Whatever the case, it's a big deal now and analyzing the schedule for must-see matchups has become an annual tradition for NBA fans. Even if you're a fan of a rebuilding team such as the Houston Rockets, there are still some pretty compelling matchups to keep an eye on.
Rockets featured attractions:
1. November 10, 2021 – Pistons @ Rockets
For most of the college season, there really wasn't a conversation as to who should be the number one overall pick. It was presumed to be Cade Cunningham for several months leading up to the NBA Draft. And it stayed that way until the second overall pick for the Rockets, Jalen Green, made it abundantly clear that he thought he was the best player in the class. Green never wavered on this, so the noise kept picking up steam. Even the Pistons had a lengthy process before coming to terms with selecting Cunningham.
Going into summer league, no matchup was more highly anticipated than Rockets-Pistons and the two even went as far as guarding each other in the game. I would expect this sort of enthusiasm to continue into the season and apparently, so do the television networks. The only nationally televised game that both teams have for the 2021-22 season is this game (ESPN).
2. October 22, 2021 – Thunder @ Rockets
Ever since the James Harden trade in 2012, the Rockets and Thunder have been two franchises tied at the hip. Whether it's a competitive playoff battle or a challenge-like trade (Chris Paul, Alperen Sengun, etc…), it's almost like their destined to compete with each other until the end of time. Take for instance, this current moment in time.
In addition to Houston and Oklahoma City being on the same rebuilding timeline, the Thunder own two of the Rockets' future first round picks.
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The Rockets also acquired the rights to draft Turkish big man Alperen Sengun from the Thunder in late July in a trade that will further tie to the two at the hip for the next few years. Both teams also have intriguing young cores that will make them league pass darlings. If you're going to tune into one of the matchups, this is it. In October, both teams are likely to be at full health and still putting maximum effort.
3. December 15, 2021 – Rockets @ Cavaliers
There was a contentious debate about what the Rockets should've done with the second overall pick before they ultimately ended up selecting Jalen Green. The most often mentioned name other than Green was former USC big man Evan Mobley. Now, the Cavaliers have constructed a truly bizarre lineup so it's up for debate whether this environment is conducive for Mobley to shine, but this is still a matchup worth tuning in for.
4. December 3, 2021 – Magic @ Rockets
As satisfying as summer league was this year, the one matchup we didn't get to see was Jalen Green against Jalen Suggs with Rockets-Magic. As good as Mobley and Green are, Suggs had a legitimate case for the second case for the second overall pick before falling to Orlando at five. In addition to being a capable scorer, Suggs is a great floor general type that defends at a high level. The two also share the first name ‘Jalen' so there's plenty of marketing opportunities there for the local television networks.
5. Every game against Brooklyn or Miami
Houston owns the better of Brooklyn or Miami's first round pick this season so there's plenty of incentive to tune into this game. Even if you're a Rockets fan that believes the team should tank this season, these are games you should be pulling for Houston to win.
Also, because of the impact he had on the organization, anytime James Harden plays the Rockets until he retires is must-watch television.
