Houston Rockets Articles - Page 52

The Golden State Warriors introduced the idea of switching everything on defense to the NBA in 2015. Before the Dubs, switching was viewed as a “weak” form of defense that was only done at the end of games. However, Steve Kerr and Co. become a juggernaut with that tactic. In response, the Houston Rockets also […]

Going from covering an established superstar like James Harden for several years to covering a star prospect like Jalen Green is incredibly different. Harden almost always came out in the positive column and his games were always steady and predictable. It’ll be anyone’s guess how many games Green has in the positive column this year […]

Kevin Porter Jr. received some backlash for his performance during the Houston Rockets’ loss to the Boston Celtics on Sunday, and sure enough, the young guard has heard all the hate. However, KPJ is not letting the criticisms discourage him. In fact, it’s the opposite as he looks more motivated than ever. That’s clear with […]

Move over, James Harden. There’s a new star for the Houston Rockets, and he’s here to make fans forget about “The Beard”. Rockets rookie Jalen Green came into the league with the expectation that he’ll be a top-level scorer. After a rough start to the season, Green flashed his scoring potential for everyone to see. […]

On Friday, former Houston Rockets talent Gerald Green announced that he would be retiring from basketball and becoming a player development coach for franchise. Green played two seasons for the Rockets, but left a pretty indelible mark on the organization and city. In addition to being a pretty capable shooter and helpful contributor to Houston’s […]

After a dominating win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. talked about his relationship with rookie shooting guard Jalen Green. “I see so much in him,” said Porter Jr. “And he sees so much in me. We got the same level of respect for each other.” Dating back to […]

The Houston Rockets opened up the Toyota Center with an unexpected, but dominating performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After an 18-point beatdown in Minnesota, Houston came into the game determined to make a new first impression. Led by Christian Wood, the Rockets did just that. “I think we learned from the last game as […]

Before the Houston Rockets’ home opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Gerald Green announced that he is retiring and joining the Rockets’ coaching staff in a player development coach position. ClutchPoints’ Salman Ali said that Green had previously discussed coaching with Houston GM Rafael Stone. Gerald Green announces his retirement from basketball and will be […]

If you were a Rockets fan entering the season with an optimistic outlook, Wednesday night’s beatdown against the Minnesota Timberwolves may have served as an unwelcome reality check. It’s just one game, but it lines up with most experts and projection models thought Houston would be this year – a really bad basketball team. This […]

Just two years ago, the Houston Rockets reached the Western Conference Semifinals, but their performance has taken a drastic hit over the last two years. They were the worst team in the NBA last year. Fortunately, they received the second overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and used it by selecting athletic wing Jalen […]

Most Houston Rockets fans probably didn’t watch Wednesday night’s season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves all the way through, and it was justified. Unfortunately, it’s likely a preview of what will happen throughout the season: young talent playing hard and having a few highlight moments, but ultimately losing due to turnovers, bad defense, and poor […]

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards woke up today feeling extra dangerous. The Timberwolves opened their season on a winning note after dismantling the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night, 124-106. Edwards led the charge, punishing the Rockets with shot after shot as if they stole his life savings. The second-year forward particularly waxed hot in the […]

Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green gets his name on the scoreboard in a fancy way as the 19-year-old opens his NBA debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The athletic swingman’s first game is one of the most anticipated debuts in the league this season and Green once again proves that he’s fit for the NBA as […]

Last year was an all-time chaotic year for the Houston Rockets. Russell Westbrook and James Harden set the tone with their trade requests before free agency, but it never got better from there. New head coach Stephen Silas had to deal with juggling egos, trying to maintain a healthy locker room environment, and learning on […]

After what feels like a very long offseason, the NBA has finally returned! Starting off with some great games, this season is bound to be full of action and great competition. The Houston Rockets will hit the road to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves. This Western Conference battle is going to be a good one. […]

Players like Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green have been on an NBA trajectory since they were pre-teens. They’re the stars of their grade school teams, they join the AAU basketball circuit, scouts make regular appearances at their games, and they’re recruited by several different entities looking to capitalize on their talents (colleges, brands, extended family, […]

The Houston Rockets used four different starting lineups through the preseason. A total of eight different players have seen their name called to start so far and the Rockets have deliberately collected data internally on all these units. While it’s pretty clear who three of the starters are going to be, the remaining two starters […]

The NBA Western Conference is habitually stiff, which leads to a handful of legitimately competitive teams missing the playoffs. At the moment, there are six teams in the conference that are rebuilding and/or trying to turn a corner with a young core. Those teams are the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota […]

With Rockets starting center Daniel Theis sidelined due to a minor knee injury, Stephen Silas used Houston’s last preseason game as an opportunity to test out a new starting lineup. Christian Wood occupied Theis’ spot at starting center and rookie Alperen Sengun stepped in at power forward. The move wasn’t a complete surprise as Sengun […]

It’s been a crazy three years for guard Armoni Brooks. After not being selected in the 2019 NBA Draft and bouncing around the G League for two years, Brooks finally found some stability this year with the Houston Rockets. In January, he signed with Houston’s G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and was […]

By the time training camp rolls around in the NBA, you usually can predict what to expect from a team. Every beat reporter knows what storylines are relevant to ask about, ever player has a general idea of what his role is on the team, and coaches have a rotation in mind that they are […]

Ever since the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Ben Simmons has been swarmed by critics. Although Simmons is still a star, things haven’t gone smoothly for him as of late. The postseason saw him register the most dismal performance of his career. Simmons registered a historically bad 34.2% mark on free throws, which is the worst in […]

It’s safe to say that people are generally more excited to watch this year’s Rockets’ team versus last year’s team. Houston has an exciting cast that includes Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, Kevin Porter Jr., and Josh Christopher – all of which are under the age of 22. It’s a breath of fresh air […]

Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta was one of the hardest hit billionaires once the pandemic began. With his business being centered on casinos, hotels, and restaurants, basically the first ones shuttered during the shut-down, he had to take drastic action else risk his company going under. The Houston native made the highly publicized move to […]

Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate is one of those players in the NBA who is really difficult to pin down to a position. Ten years ago, these players were called “tweeners” and were disparaged in a league that valued positional rigidity. Now, the opposite is true: The more positions players are able to play, the […]

One of the last big remaining questions for the Rockets going into the season is who starts at small forward. Kevin Porter Jr., Jalen Green, Christian Wood, and Daniel Theis are all locks entering the season to be starters and the only question remaining is that fifth spot. Houston is essentially debating between a three-guard […]

Prior to the season, it was pretty easy to predict how the Houston Rockets’ rotation would look like. Houston had drafted four rookies, but because they had at least eight active players on the roster over the age of 24, it was likely only two of those rookies would play regular minutes. Rockets head coach […]

Filipino NBA fans are in for a treat when the NBA season starts, when the Houston Rockets host the Utah Jazz on October 28. This will mark the first time two players of Filipino descent face off, as Rockets rookie Jalen Green takes on Jazz sixth man Jordan Clarkson. In honor of this, the Rockets […]

One quarter into Houston’s first preseason game against Washington and it was pretty clear that the defense is going to be a work in progress all year. Obviously this Rockets team is pretty inexperienced with playing with each other, but it’s also important to remember that poor defense isn’t uncommon for young teams in the […]

Good or bad, everything in the preseason should be taken with a grain of salt, especially for this young Houston Rockets team. While it’s statistically more indicative of what will happen in the regular season than pundits give it credit for, the preseason primarily serves two purposes: For coaches to figure out rotations and lineups […]

The Houston Rockets defeated the Washington Wizards 125-119 in their preseason opener on a late fourth quarter surge, but the story Tuesday night was Kevin Porter Jr. In his first career preseason start at point guard, Porter Jr. poured in 25 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block on nearly 70% true shooting. […]

There are several reasons why NBA GMs think Jalen Green will win the Rookie of the Year award this 2021-22, and the Houston Rockets guard showed one of those reasons on Tuesday in their preseason game against Kyle Kuzma and the Washington Wizards. Right in the opening minutes of the game, Green showed how polished […]

The Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers all made minor moves Tuesday night involving salary dumps and future draft picks. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets are acquiring Edmund Sumner and the Miami Heat’s 2025 second round pick from the Pacers. Once the deal is finalized, Woj reports the Nets will then waive […]

For veteran teams in the NBA, preseason is a nuisance. It’s something everybody has to do, but nobody wants to. For most teams, the number one objective is to not get injured. For a young team like the 2021-22 Houston Rockets, preseason takes on an added layer of importance. “I just want us to get […]

After five days on Galveston beach, the Houston Rockets completed their training camp on Saturday. Last season, Rockets training camp was awkward and uncomfortable as the team awaited James Harden and P.J. Tucker’s arrival. This season, Houston got ahead of any awkwardness by coming to an agreement with veteran guard John Wall. This led to […]

Detroit Pistons legend John Salley is certain Houston Rockets point guard John Wall and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry are almost the same. John Wall and Stephen Curry are two perennial All-Star guards who are both the biggest names in their respective teams. Atop that, the pair is also two of the highest-paid guards […]

Ben Simmons trade talk has dominated the NBA offseason thus far. Nearly a year ago, James Harden found himself in a similar situation before eventually landing with the Brooklyn Nets. Harden was asked about the Simmons trade buzz, but claimed that it wasn’t as similar as people are suggesting. Via Brian Lewis of the New […]

Nearly three decades after his first NBA pre-season stint with the Houston Rockets, Sam Cassell is still blown away by Hakeem Olajuwon’s bizarre routine. Sam Cassell entered the NBA in 1993 after being drafted by the Houston Rockets. At the time, Hakeem Olajuwon was already in his prime and had been dominating the entire league. […]

Adjusting to the NBA as a rookie is incredibly difficult. The competition is bigger, faster, and stronger than what you’re accustomed to. There’s nothing that can prepare you for an 82-game schedule with lots of traveling. You’re also constantly competing for a spot in the rotation with your teammates. Now imagine not speaking the language […]