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[Houston Rockets]

The Rockets should pick up the pace

A lot of Rockets fans just witnessed their first full, top-down rebuild.

Some of us have been here before.

When the Rockets’ geriatric Olajuwon/Barkley/Pippen trio finally got put to pasture, the team’s future was unclear. Had Steve Francis not rejected Vancouver (a beautiful city, as long as you’re not in the DTES), who knows what may have happened?

When he arrived in Space City, the future was crystallized. Cuttino Mobley was the cherry on top. The Rockets would build the league’s highest octane offense around a dynamic backcourt:

But Yao Ming had other plans.

The Rockets weren’t supposed to land the number one pick in 2002. They defied the lottery Gods when they still had dominion – the odds weren’t flattened yet, but the Rockets landed the first pick with the ninth-highest odds anyway.

The rest is history. Francis and Ming proved a suspect fit, so the Rockets flipped Francis and Mobley for Tracy McGrady. They built an outstanding roster around their star duo, and could have won an NBA title if not for untimely injuries.

Rockets fans got attached to a vision. Something better came along, and the organization smartly pivoted.

History has now repeated itself.

The tanking Rockets were going to be built around supreme athleticism. That was clear once they selected Jalen Green. The opportunity to grab roughly the most athletic person ever in Amen Thompson solidified the vision: This team was going to run:

But Alperen Sengun was the new Yao Ming.

No lottery luck needed. The Rockets wisely made a draft-day deal to acquire Sengun. He’s emerged as their best player, and the vision has changed. The Rockets have constructed a slower half-court attack around Sengun’s strengths. They even flipped Green for one of the very best half-court scorers in NBA history to bolster their plan of attack.

And that’s great! In the postseason, half-court offense always reigns supreme. The league’s best teams don’t cede transition opportunities willingly. The game slows down. It’s optimal to generate the bulk of your offense in half-court sets:

But are the Rockets taking it too far?

Rockets could stand to run​

As of this writing, the Rockets’ 97.26 pace ranks 28th in the NBA. Only the Celtics and Clippers play slower.

Sengun’s offensive approach isn’t the only reason the Rockets slow it down. As the league’s best offensive rebounding team, it behooves them to slow it down. Crashing the boards puts you in a less ideal position to defend transition, and the Rockets want to be set up to collect misses anyway.

Nobody is suggesting the Rockets overhaul their approach. The team’s third-ranked 121.4 Offensive Rating speaks for itself:

But there’s certainly room to tinker.

Firstly, the Rockets could be less committed to twin-towers lineups. Go ahead and scour CleaningTheGlass: You won’t find a double big lineup with meaningful floor time and a positive differential.

Frankly, I’d give Jabari Smith Jr. a bit more time at the 5. He’s playing 3% of his minutes there in 2025-26, which is a career low by far.

For those suffering PTSD (Piercey-Traumatic Stress Disorder): No, I don’t want to squeeze Sengun out.

The team can run with Sengun in the lineup. If he collects the board, he can leverage his floor vision to push the pace and make a quick outlet pass. When Thompson gets the board, Sengun is often near the halfcourt line by the time he’s dribbling anyway. Sengun defends further from the basket than an average big man, so that puts him in a position to receive transition passes.

Perhaps Tari Eason’s return will incentivize the Rockets to run. His 1.8% Steal Percentage is far below his career 2.9% mark. If Eason can get back to his terrorizing ways, it could create opportunities for Houston to push the pace.

Once more: This isn’t about changing everything. The Rockets are in good shape. Most of their strategic pillars are strong. If they could just bump that pace up from 28th to, say, 20th or so, they’ll be able to capitalize on their surplus of athletic players to generate some easy transition buckets:

Even if it’s not the primary source of their identity.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rockets-analysis/37269/the-houston-rockets-should-pick-up-the-pace

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. New Orleans Pelicans game preview

Thanks to a fun twist of fate, I’m in New Orleans and will be at tonight’s game. So if the Houston Rockets lose, you’ll know exactly who to blame.

The New Orleans Pelicans are 5-22 and dead last in the Western Conference. They’ve already traded their first round pick in next year’s draft for Derik Queen (who’s been good!), a deal that will probably haunt them this summer. Their other pick in that draft, Jeremiah Fears, has been fun but is still a rookie and needs time.

Basically, every Pelican outside of those rookies is on the trade block. Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones both have three years left on their deals, so any team that can snag them for a single first round pick and filler would probably feel like they got a steal. Saddiq Bey has been playing well and is much cheaper.

Lurking, of course, is the spectre of Zion Williamson, who has only played 11 games this season. The Pelicans are 2-9 in those games, with both of those wins coming against the Chicago Bulls. Just an interesting tidbit.

New Orleans is 28th in eFG% but grab offensive rebounds at a high rate (seventh in the league). Meanwhile, they allow the most efficient shooting to their opponents and don’t defensively rebound particularly well. Houston isn’t getting to the line as often as they did in the early season, but some regression was to be expected.

Tip-off​

7pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Tari Eason: GTD (leg)

Dorian Finney-Smith: OUT (ankle)

Pelicans​

Dejounte Murray: OUT

The Line (as of this post)​

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Saturday night on the road against the Denver Nuggets (again)

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...-rockets-vs-new-orleans-pelicans-game-preview

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets look to get back in the win column in NOLA vs the Pels

Houston Rockets vs New Orleans Pelicans​

December 18, 2025​

Location: Smoothie King Center – New Orleans, LA

TV: SCHN

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Gametime: 7:00 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: A. Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Pelicans: Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, Jeremiah Fears, Zion Williamson, Derik Queen

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...-zion-williamson-alperen-sengun-amen-thompson

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets blow a 25-point lead to the Pelicans and fall 133-128 in OT

In recent days the Rockets inability to execute down the stretch against the upper echelon of teams in the NBA has been well covered. The New Orleans Pelicans were 5-22 going into Thursday’s game in NOLA. They have young talented players, but they are nothing close to the “upper echelon” of teams. That didn’t stop the Rockets from doing the same things that caused them to lose their previous three games on the road.

The Rockets led 99-83 going into the fourth quarter after giving up 38 points in the third letting the Pelicans dwindle down what had been a 25-point lead to 16 points. It was a tale of two halves as the Pels had only scored 45 points in the first half. In addition to the Rockets allowing the Pelicans to shoot 50.5-percent from the field, including 68-percent in the second half alone, and sending New Orleans to the free-throw line 28 times, with them making 24 of those free-throws, the Houston Rockets looked as if they forgot how to play offensive basketball in the fourth quarter and overtime, where they scored 20 and 9 points respectively.

The familiar problem of offensive incoherence, lack of ball movement, players stating around and at times looking as if this team doesn’t even practice half-court offense. With the Pelicans taking the ball out of Kevin Durant’s hands down the stretch the Rockets looked lackadaisical on the week side, unable to take advantage of the 4-on-3 advantage. Their lack of aggressiveness and hesitance only led to turnovers and bad shots. The Rockets shot 42-percent in the second half and turned the ball over 18 times in the game, five of those coming in the 4th quarter. In contrast, the Pelicans got whatever they wanted in the second half, with Saddiq Bey and Trey Murphy III leading the way for them.

The Rockets were lazy offensively and defensively, but one of the biggest indictments of their play down the stretch was that Kevin Durant played 42 minutes and scored 32 points on only 15 shots Ime Udoka was unable to find any creative way to get him free and the rest of the team seemed too scared to try and go make a play. Don’t take my word for it, those were the words of Ime Udoka after the game. Kevin Durant said after the game that the Rockets second half was “not indicative of who we are.” Well Kevin, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it is kind of indicative of who this team has been in their disappointing losses, and it’s what’s beginning to make Rockets fans a bit uneasy.

We know this team is talented. Alperen Sengun nearly tallied his second double-double in as many games with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 8 assists. Yet for the second game in a row, he was a negative in the plus/minus category. Amen Thompson with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists and yet was a -9 in the game. It’s not time to panic but lack of team execution down the stretch is a real concern that the team will need to figure out, or the calls for them to make a move will only grow louder and louder.

The Rockets have four games remaining on this road trip, starting with their second game in Denver this week, coming up on Saturday. They should be eager to get the bitter taste of their last two losses out of their mouths. We will be right here as always previewing the game, opening up the discussion to all of you during the game, and of course recapping after the fact. Happy Holidays to all of you TDS faithful! Let’s bounce back on Saturday.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...en-sengun-saddiq-bey-trey-murphy-amen-tompson

 

[Houston Rockets]

The fine was well worth the message for Rockets Ime Udoka

Ime Udoka is about as authentic as it gets. He doesn’t hold back.

Just ask Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who Udoka told to stop bitching about officiating. Sure, it got him ejected, but the message was beyond worth the punishment.

Especially when considering the effect that it had on his Houston Rockets players. It let them know that their coach was going to ride for them, no matter what. Publicly.

The Rockets players were thinking the same thing as Udoka. They realized the whistle was titled in the Los Angeles Lakers’ favor, but they’ve been taught not to let officiating affect them.

(Not to mention a lot of them at that time were still on rookie deals and likely didn’t want to give money back to the league).

Fast forward two years. Well, fast forward to December 15th, 2025, in particular.

The Rockets were in a slug fest with the Denver Nuggets and had traded blows with them for several hours.

Houston led 117-116 with just two seconds left.

Then it happened.

The referees struck once again, although this time determining the outcome. Well, let’s just say influencing it.

A phantom foul was called on Amen Thompson towards Tim Hardaway Jr. The camera angle would determine whether many thought it was a foul (which means it wasn’t a foul).

Denver hit a free throw and won the game in overtime.

Afterwards, Udoka went no-holds-barred, unloading on the officiating. The Cliff Notes version of Udoka’s rant was that the game was “the most poorly officiated game he had seen in a long time”, two of the referees had no business being out there, and the crew chief was “acting star struck”.

The next day, the NBA released their last two minute report, noting that it was indeed an incorrect call on Thompson, in addition to two other calls in the waning moments of the game, that all went against the Rockets.

The NBA also dropped the hammer relatively quickly on Udoka, fining the Rockets coach $25,000.

As a side note, if they were in agreement with Udoka regarding the poor officiating, why fine him?

(And not to pocket watch, but what’s $25,000 for someone making $11 million annually?)

But the message was worth the punishment for Udoka. Again, he said exactly what the players (and even fans) were thinking.

And once again, the teams knows he’s going to ride for them and have their back, publicly, even if it leads to punishment (or a semblance of it) for Udoka. And that’s worth much more than the fine.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...rth-the-message-for-houston-rockets-ime-udoka

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets game preview

The six-game road trip from hell continues tonight. It’s “from hell” because it involved a game thrust onto the Houston Rockets at the list minute as a result of the NBA Cup schedule fixes (at Denver), followed by a flight back east to take on (and lose to) the New Orleans Pelicans. Then it’s a flight right back to Denver for today’s contest. And then finally, the three-game California road trip has not been kind to Ime Udoka and his Rockets during his tenure.

We just saw this game, so there isn’t much more to say. With a win, the Nuggets wrap up the tiebreaker over Houston. Nikola Jokic is still amazing. Jamal Murray is having a great early season and will probably make his first All-Star team. A random Nugget player will have a career night. And if the Nuggets desperately need a point late, Tim Hardaway Jr. can just trip over himself again.

Tip-off​

4pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network and NBA TV

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Tari Eason: GTD (leg)

Dorian Finney-Smith: OUT (ankle)

Nuggets​

Aaron Gordon: OUT

Christian Braun: OUT

The Line (as of this post)​

N/A

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Tomorrow night on the road against the Sacramento Kings

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...ouston-rockets-vs-denver-nuggets-game-preview

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets granted $12.5M disabled player exception for Fred VanVleet

On Tuesday afternoon, Kelly Iko with Yahoo Sports announced that “the Houston Rockets were recently granted a $12.5 million Disabled Players Exemption for guard Fred VanVleet, who tore his right ACL prior to training camp, and despite the DPE (Disabled Player Exception), Houston is still hard-capped at the first apron.”

The Houston Rockets were recently granted a $12.5 million Disabled Players Exemption for guard Fred VanVleet, source told @YahooSports. VanVleet tore his right ACL prior to training camp.

Houston is still hard-capped at the first apron. https://t.co/Ve5ivJy40m

— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) December 16, 2025

The Rockets expected Fred VanVleet to be their starting point guard, as he had been the previous two seasons. But in September, he tore his ACL, ending his season. Because of this, Ime Udoka, the head coach, had to be inventive with the lineup for 2025–2026. So far this season, Amen Thompson has started for Houston at point guard. Center Alperen Sengun leads the Rockets with 7.1 assists per game, and the team’s offense is much improved.

On October 27, the Rockets requested a disabled player exception as Fred VanVleet had finished his season. On Tuesday, December 16, NBA source Kelly Iko said that Houston has gotten a $12.5 million DPE for Fred VanVleet. According to Bobby Marks of ESPN, despite acquiring the DPE, the Rockets are still hard-capped at the first apron.

Prior to Houston’s trade to acquire Kevin Durant, Houston was linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo throughout the offseason. Antetokounmpo is not anticipated to be available to the Rockets this season, though.

Furthermore, Houston can only add players with veteran minimum contracts. With the squad they have put together, the team isn’t really flexible. In 2025–2026, Fred VanVleet’s $25 million salary was the Rockets’ third-highest. Additonally Fred Vanvleet, Jae’sean Tate, and Aaron Holiday all have implicit no trade clasues, which means they are extremely unlikely to be traded. The Rockets will continue to use the roster they built for 2025–2026 for the time being, as the group thinks they can compete in the West as currently constructed

Houston continues their long roadtrip with a game versus the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at Smoothie King Arena with a 7:00 tip-off time. You can watch the game on Space City Home Network or NBA League Pass. As always, be on the lookout for pre- and post-game content here at the Dreamshake.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...m-disabled-player-exception-for-fred-vanvleet

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets bounce back in Denver; defeat the Nuggets 115-101

When Ime Udoka called the Rockets out for their embarrassing effort on defense in the overtime loss to New Orleans, it was a sure bet that the defensive effort would be anything but embarrassing. In fact, they responded by holding the highest scoring offense in the NBA to 40-percent shooting, and their lowest scoring output of the season. Meanwhile, the Rockets had one of their best shooting performances of the season. What that added up to was a 14-point win for the Rockets and getting off the hook for continuing to lose to elite competition.

The defense started off shaky in the first quarter, with the Rockets giving up 29 points in large part due to turnovers. After jumping out to an early 10-2 lead the Rockets turned the ball over t times before mid-way through quarter and the Nuggets quickly dropped the deficit to 14-12 before Ime Udoka immediately jumped off the bench and called time out. The Nuggets ended the quarter with 29 points on 54 percent shooting. However, the Rockets would follow up that effort by holding the Nuggets to their lowest scoring quarter of the season, 16 points on 31.5 percent shooting.

That defensive effort would set the tone for the remainder of the game, up until just over four minutes to go in the game, when Ime Udoka felt safe enough to begin pulling starters and bringing in the bottom of the bench. That’s when the Rockets began playing with their food a bit, and the Nuggets were able to reduce a 21-point lead to 10 points with just over two minutes to go, forcing Ime to bring starters back in. Ultimately, the Rockets pulled off an impressive win over an elite team. Granted the Nuggets were missing important players, but the same can be said of the Rockets, proving that depth is the name of the game.

Kevin Durant and Reed Sheppard were both impressive and impactful in this game. Reed dropped 28 points off the bench in 30 minutes of play. He shot 9-of-15 from the field, 6-of-9 from three, added 2 rebounds, 2 blocks, 3 steals and 6 assists. During his best stretch he scored 11 straight points. Most impressively, he only turned the ball over one time in 30 minutes on the floor Durant was determined to not let the Rockets have another let down as he was aggressive and efficient with 31 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists. Durant was in his bag and brought an edge to the Rockets that had been missing in the previous two meetings.

Alperen Sengun didn’t have the mega box score he had in the previous meeting, with only 8 points on 4-of-9 shooting, but unlike the last meeting he was a +24 on the floor. He and Stephen Adams held Nikola Jokic to a relatively subpar performance, at least by Joker standards. He finished with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists, 5 fouls, and was a -20 on the floor.

The Rockets can put to rest for now they narrative that they are unable to beat teams .600 or better, but that won’t go away until they can do so consistently. Their next shot will come on Christmas day against Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers. Rockets fans will likely still be a little on edge until then, but don’t let it get in the way of your last minute Christmas shopping. If the Rockets are paying attention, all we want for Christmas is a three-game winning streak headed into that game. With Sacramento coming up tomorrow, and the Clippers on Tuesday, surely that isn’t too much to ask? We will be right here to cover it all, my TDS family. Go Rockets!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...engun-nikola-jokic-reed-sheppard-jamal-murray

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rocket To Contest With Kings On SEGBABA

Houston Rockets vs Denver Nuggets​

December 21, 2025​

Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacto, CA

TV: SCHN

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Gametime: 10:00 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: A. Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Kangz: Rustle Westbrook, Keon Ellis?/Malik Monk?, DeMar DeRozen, Keegs Murray, Frenchy Raynaud

The Rockets might see Tari’s Return tonight. Definitely Fictional Signing’s Endless Onramp looks to see him not play any basketball for the Rockets in 2025, but maybe 2026?

The Kings are missing Domatas Sabonis, Zach LaVine, Drew Eubanks, and Doughg MacDermott. This might make them a better team in some ways?

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rockets-game-threads/37380/rocket-to-contest-with-kings-on-segbaba

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets Fall To The Kings In OT 125-124

The Rockets lost in the NBA nightcap tonight against the lowly Sacramento Kings in overtime, 125-124. The Rockets always seem to have a stupid loss to the Kings in them, every year, just as they have a ridiculous loss to Utah in them every year.

This week was a bit special in terms of absurd losses. Coming off a convincing win in Denver (again) the Rockets dropped a very winnable game against Sacramento. Yes, it was a back to back, but other teams manage not to be awful in back to backs. Maybe it’s play style, or Steven Adams sitting out, but whatever it is, they need to fix it, as there are plenty more coming.

Of the three overtime losses, one isn’t completely pathetic. The Rockets lost to Denver in OT, with some really iffy calls by Zach Zarba, as the NBA’s own Last Two Minute Report on that game will confirm. We don’t really need to say much more about that one.

The other two? In one the Rockets managed to blow a 25 point lead against the New Orleans Pelicans. In this one they blew a lead as well, though not as big. Tonight they let the Kings hang around, didn’t play with much cohesion, or force, lost another late.

Every single overtime game means your team had a chance to win it. The Rockets won none of their recent overtime games.

I suppose we can talk about this game in particular, but I’m not sure how illuminating it will be. I’d rather cover what I see as key problems.

First the good news. The Rockets should have won the last four games. They were in a position, in some cases an excellent position, to do so. The bad news is they managed to lose all three games that went to OT.

In other good news, Tari Eason returned, and looked good over all. He had 16 points in 16 minutes on 6-8 shooting, and 3-3 from three point range. Minutes he takes from Josh Okogie, and Aaron Holiday might generally benefit the Rockets. If he plays anything like this on offense, in 30 plus minutes, he’s a huge help. He also, according to Ime Udoka’s post game comments, left his man on the 3pt make from The Schrodent that sealed the victory for the Kings. That’s probably post injury rust for Eason.

The Rockets are in a tough part of their schedule, and right now the breaks are beating them.

This isn’t to be bleak, we’ve seen the Rockets also play up to their competition, yet show a certain lack of closing ability. The only game where they were truly outplayed this season, to me, was against the Spurs. Otherwise the Rockets had a big role in beating themselves, every time.

The rest of this game was the Rockets playing down to their competition, as though this particular team was well established contender. Frankly they just haven’t earned that status yet, Losses to Utah, Sacramento, New Orleans and Dallas won’t help them get there.

In this game the Rockets lost the rebounding battle to a team playing a rookie center, and essentially one real power forward. They made mental mistakes. They missed defensive assignments. While they didn’t have an astonishing number of turnovers, the ones they had were awful.

There are some good things here, but who really deserves a pat on the back in this miserable, unnecessary loss? They shot well, rebounded poorly, and failed to execute and close this one out.

The Rockets can hope to learn from this, though in terms of the past week, the signs aren’t encouraging.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rockets-game-threads/37385/rockets-fall-to-the-kings-in-ot-125-124

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings game preview

Both of these teams played yesterday. The Houston Rockets had a matinee game against the Denver Nuggets (which Houston won, of course) and the Sacramento Kings lost at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.

As I have mentioned before, the three-game trips to California have not always gone well for Ime Udoka’s Rockets, but they did better at them last season as the year went on. After playing in California’s capital tonight, the Rockets will head to Los Angeles to face both teams on Tuesday (LAC) and Thursday (LAL).

Tip-off​

9pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Tari Eason: OUT (leg)

Dorian Finney-Smith: OUT (ankle)

Kings​

Domantas Sabonis: OUT

Zach LaVine: OUT

Drew Eubanks: OUT

The Line (as of this post)​

Hou -12.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Tuesday night on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...ston-rockets-vs-sacramento-kings-game-preview

 

[Houston Rockets]

The Rockets don’t need to be so isolated

It seems like most of the articles I’ve written since I (blissfully) returned to The Dream Shake have been some iteration of “the Rockets have the NBA’s second-best Offensive Rating, but they need to fix their offense.”

Well…

It’s now the fourth-best Offensive Rating (121.0). Still elite territory, but they’re slipping.

This should not come as a shock. Ime Udoka, despite his many positive qualities, has failed to establish a sustainable first-shot offense. The team’s strategy is overly predicated on offensive rebounding, and it’s starting to show. There are plenty of potential fixes. I’ve suggested running a triangle. I’ve advocated for picking up the pace on a situational basis. I stand by those ideas:

But one piece of fruit hangs particularly low.

The Rockets isolate too much​

The Rockets are second in the NBA in isolation frequency (10.7%). The 0.87 points per possession (PPP) they score in isolation lands in the 34.5th percentile. Kevin Durant is in the 45.8th percentile in isolation PPP, and Alperen Sengun is in the 40.3rd. Amen Thompson is shockingly in the 74.3rd percentile, but his iso volume is significantly lower.

I’m no basketball genius. It would seem rational to me that, if you don’t do something very well, you shouldn’t do it very often.

They say doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a new result is the definition of insanity. The actual definition is an “inability to think and behave in ways considered to be normal and rational, especially on account of serious mental illness”, but it’s still an insane thing to do.

I brought this up on my podcast (shameless self-promotion!), and my co-host posited a theory. He says the Rockets play slowly and isolate frequently in large part because it puts them in a better position to get offensive rebounds. He may be right.

Isn’t the planning for failure? If a politician campaigned on a platform with promises about what they’re going to do if their policies fail, would you have confidence in their policies? Shouldn’t the Rockets aim to create and make good first shots, rather than design a system where they don’t care what the shot looks like, because hey, we’ll get the rebound anyway?

Besides, the Rockets’ 37.6% Offensive Rebound Percentage leads the NBA by a huge margin. They could change their system, lose a couple of percentage points, and still have the best mark in the league.

It’s starting to look like it’s of critical importance.

Rockets have not delivered on potential​

The Rockets lost to the Kings by one point in overtime last night. It was a cruel case of deja vu. All told, they’ve played 85.0 clutch minutes this year – third in the NBA. The Rockets are 6-8 in those contests.

Any NBA fan knows that when the chips are down, you’ve got to grind out a win. In the clutch, and in the postseason, systems go out the window, and basic isolation-heavy basketball reigns supreme.

So, given that the Rockets are in the 34.5th percentile in isolation PPP, their 6-8 record isn’t a huge surprise.

Still, this isn’t about their clutch-time strategy. It’s about developing a strategy to avoid clutch situations in the first place. Systems may break down in high-leverage situations, but they also carry teams to easy victories:

And the Rockets need a more sophisticated system.

Counterarguments exist. Yes, the actual culprit in the Rockets’ struggles has been defensive regression. Their 113.8 Defensive Rating over the last 10 games ranks 13th in the league. That was integral to last season’s identity.

Sure, the team badly misses Fred VanVleet. Perhaps it really is that simple. The team’s 16.3% Turnover Percentage ranks 28th in the league. Conceptually, the idea behind these Rockets is to control the possession battle. Dominating the offensive glass is a big part of that calculus, but holding onto the ball once they get it is as well. Last season, the Rockets ranked 11th in Turnover % (14.0%). Rostering the least turnover prone high volume passer in the NBA helped that cause.

That’s all true, but none of it negates this team’s need for a better first-shot offense. Perhaps a midseason overhaul isn’t viable. That’s fine. Simply adding some wrinkles to a highly stagnant attack could lead to progress.

For what it’s worth, there’s plenty to salvage here. The Rockets are the sixth seed, but the West is wide open. They’ve got plenty of season left to re-establish themselves as the second-best team in the conference.

It just might help to design an offense that’s hoping its first shot will…you know, go in.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...kets-dont-need-to-be-so-isolated-kevin-durant

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Clippers game preview

After yet another game in which they blew a big lead and lost in overtime, the Houston Rockets continue the California swing of this six-game road trip.

Now, the Rockets have to play a Los Angeles Clippers team that gave them a close game a couple of weeks ago. LA was in that game throughout and it took a great Amen Thompson putback layup while getting fouled to help Houston put away the feisty Clippers.

Houston will stay in Los Angeles and head to Staples for their Christmas Day game against the Lakers on Thursday.

Tip-off​

9:30pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network and Peacock

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Tari Eason: GTD

Dorian Finney-Smith: OUT (ank

Clippe​

Ivica Zubac: OUT

Bradley Beal: OUT

Derrick Jones Jr.: OUT

The Line (as of this post)​

N/A

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Looking ahead because we can​

Thursday night on the road against the Los Angeles Lakers

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...-rockets-vs-los-angeles-clippers-game-preview

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets get run out of the gym by the Clippers in LA, 128-105

In the very deep Western Conference, a bad week can be the difference between home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs and being on the outside looking in. Coming into Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Rockets were at fork in the road. While finally beating the Denver Nuggets was a nice feather in their cap, bad losses to the Pelicans and Kings loomed over that win and they would need another bounce back effort against the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the first quarter it looked like the Rockets might accomplish that, scoring 35 points shooting 15-of-23 from the floor and holding a Clippers team that featured a healthy Kawhi Leonard and James Harden to 29 points in the quarter. That would be the last quarter that the Rockets would score 30+ and the last quarter they would hold the Clippers under 30 points. From that moment on the Clippers shot 58-percent from the field in the remaining three quarters. They shot 54-percent from both the field and the three-point line where they shot 20-of-37 for the game. The Clips also went to the free-throw line 27 times, hitting 24 of those shots.

In contrast the Rockets shot 9-of-30 from the three-point line and 13-of-18 from the free-throw stripe. That was ultimately the difference in the game. The Rockets defensive effort was very poor, and their offense became very stagnant as they struggled to get stops and were unable to score in transition. The half-court offense lacked movement and spacing at times and seemed the only way to score was to allow KD or Sengun to play one-on-one.

Once again, the box score for Durant and Sengun was good. KD has 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, but only had one assists and was a -15 on the floor. Sengun flirted with a triple double with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 assists, but he matched KD with 3 turnovers and was a -9 on the floor. Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson both scored in double digits, but the defensive performance was not good enough to overcome Kawhi Leonard’s 41 points and James Harden’s 29 points to go along with his 6 assists.

Heading into the Christmas Day game against the Lakers, the Rockets have to look in the mirror and find some answers to the things that have been ailing them during this stretch. Kevin Durant downplayed the seriousness of the Rockets most recent stretch after Tuesday’s game against the Clips. “With the expectations on us, it feels like this is bigger than it really is. Of course, we want to win every game… we just keep grinding and we might win 5 or 6 or 7 in a row… The sense of urgency is there but we don’t want to feel like this is too big for us to control.

He isn’t wrong, it’s not the end of the world and there is a lot of basketball left to play. However, he’s also right that this team has expectations, coming of a 52-win season and finishing in the two-seed last season before acquiring arguably the greatest scorer of all-time. It comes with the territory. Hopefully the Rockets can get back on track defensively against the Lakers and salvage what has to this point been a frustrating and disappointing road trip for everyone from the team to the fans. As always, we will be covering every angle for you, right here on TDS.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...rden-alperen-sengun-amen-thompson-la-clippers

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets take on the Clippers in Los Angeles

Houston Rockets vs Los Angeles Clippers​

December 23, 2025​

Location: Intuit Dome – Inglewood, CA

TV: SCHN, NBC

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+, Peacock

Gametime: 9:30 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: A. Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Clippers: Kris Dunn, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, John Collins, Brook Lopez

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...ard-james-harden-alperen-sengun-amen-thompson

 

[Houston Rockets]

Three gifts the Rockets need for Christmas

Happy Holidays, Rockets fans! With Christmas finally here, let’s take a look at what Rockets fans should be asking for this Christmas.

1. Dorian Finey-Smith to make his debut-​

After signing the forward to a four-year, $52.7 million contract, Dorian Finey-Smith underwent ankle surgery, which has led him to be unable to suit up for Houston yet this season. Due to forward Tari Eason’s oblique injury, Finney-Smith’s absence has been exacerbated, but Eason has since returned. The Rockets aren’t rushing Finney-Smith’s return and are giving him plenty of time to recover, as Houston is erring on the side of caution. Earlier this month, head coach Ime Udoka mentioned that DFS is close to returning. Houston has struggled in the defensive department compared to last season, and hopefully the additon of DFS will help improve their defensive consistency.

2. Fewer turnovers​

So far, Houston has the fourth highest turnover percentage at 16.3% according to cleaning the glass. This puts them only behind the Brooklyn Nets at 16.4% and both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers at 16.5%. For a team that has championship aspirations, this is unacceptable. If an affordable point guard comes around near the trade deadline, Houston should act fast to make a move, because something needs to be done. So far this season, Houston is giving up the ball on 16% of possessions, which is part of why their offense has been struggling late in games this season.

3. To take care of business versus bad teams​

In basketball, you would expect the better team to win most of the time, however especially as of late, this has not been the case for Houston. The Rockets have lost to the Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, and Los Angeles Clippers in the past month, and all of those teams are at the bottom of the standings. A combination of poor offensive execution down the stretch and playing with their food, so to speak, has led to Houston going into overtime against two of these teams (New Orleans and Sacramento), where they lost both games. Even head coach Ime Udoka is aware of this issue, as after Houston’s disappointing overtime loss on Sunday versus Sacramento, he had this to say to the media: “Our approach wasn’t right,” Udoka told reporters. “We didn’t deserve to win. When you play around with a team, it usually comes back to bite you.”

It’s clear that at this point it is too late in the season to be making excuses, but not too late for something to be changed.

Houston takes on the Lakers on Christmas Day at 7:00 Central at Crypto.com Arena. You can watch the game on ABC or ESPN, and as always, be sure to check back at The Dream Shake for post and pre-game coverage. Have a happy holidays!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...-gifts-the-houston-rockets-need-for-christmas

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets vs Lakers battle in Christmas primetime matchup

on Rockets vs Los Angeles Lakers​

December 25, 2025​

Location: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA

TV: ABC, ESPN

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Gametime: 7:00 PM CST

Probable Starting Lineups​

Rockets: A. Thompson, Josh Okogie, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun

Lakers: Austin Reeves, Rui Hachimura, Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...cic-alperen-sengun-amen-thompson-lebron-james

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets spoil Christmas for the Lakers and win big, 119-96

It’s been a rough road trip for the Houston Rockets, with three overtime losses and blowout loss to the Clippers. Heading into Thursday’s Christmas Day matchup with the Lakers, Rockets fans were hoping to see them make a statement on the big stage. That they did.

Similar to their start in the Clippers game, the Rockets jumped out to a hot shooting start, hitting at a 62.5 percent clip in the first quarter, including 4-of-7 from the three-point line. The Rockets got back to doing what they do best, dominating the paint and the boards. They outrebounded the Lakers by 27, which included a +10 in offensive rebounds which lead to 24 second chance points. The starting lineup of Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun proved to be very effective on both sides of the floor. The 37 first quarter points would be their highest output in a quarter, however defensively the Rockets never allowed the Lakers to score more than 28 points in a quarter and the Lakers never led in the game.

The Rockets winning by 23 in large part due to the second chance points and balanced scoring. Six Rockets players scored in double figures, and they assisted on 24 of their 48 made shots. Amen Thompson led the way with 26 points, getting anything he wanted inside and finding the touch in the mid-range game. Kevin Durant scored 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists shooting 57 percent from the field including 4-of-6 from three. Sengun registered a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds on 5-of-7 from the field. Tari Eason scored 13 points, Reed Sheppard chipped in 13 points off the bench as well and Dorian Finney-Smith made his season debut with 13 minutes played. He took one shot and did not score.

The Lakers came into Thursday’s game on a bit of a slide themselves, having lost two in a row and five of the previous ten games. The Rockets were able to exploit their lack of athleticism and their inability to defend at a high level. As a whole the Rockets are a better team than the Lakers and they looked the part on Christmas day. The Rockets now have two wins over teams with a .600-win percentage or higher. That isn’t a lot, but it’s better than zero. The Inside the NBA crew of Ernie, Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny Smith, made the observation at halftime that they believe the Rockets still need to acquire a veteran point guard via trade this season in order to compete against the elite teams in the West.

Today may not be the best day to make that argument after a double-digit Rockets win, but it’s a narrative that likely isn’t going away. In 19 minutes of play, Reed Sheppard only tallied one assist, but he also did not turn the ball over. Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant accounted for 9 of the Rockets 15 turnovers. It stands to reason that Reed Sheppard’s play of late at minimum should have the Rockets taking a deeper look at him running the offense as the teams point-guard and primary ball handler.

Sheppard has improved immensely from the player we saw struggling under pressure against the OKC Thunder. There are still a lot of question marks surrounding the Rockets and where they stand among the best of the best, but a 23-point win in LA against the Lakers on Christmas Day? That ain’t nothin’ to shake a stick at. The Rockets will try to keep that momentum going as they return home to face the Cavs and the Pacers in a two-game home stand.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...rant-luka-doncic-amen-thompson-alperen-sengun

 

[Houston Rockets]

SB Nation Reacts results: Which Rockets player is most likely to be traded?

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Rockets fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Sorry for the delay on this one, guys. It’s been a busy two weeks in which I had to study for and take a four-hour professional exam, wrap up my own teaching with students before the holiday, and still find the time to make some holiday magic happen for an 8-year-old little girl.

Anyway, these results are from when we asked which Rockets player you thought most likely to be traded. Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard, Fred VanVleet, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun or Aaron Holiday. Here’s what you said:

Tari Eason dominated this poll, in which his expiring contract and reported refusal to sign an extension were the most likely determining factors. Fred VanVleet finished pretty high for a guy with a no-trade clause, though he could choose to waive it for the right deal. Jabari Smith Jr. has a poison pill at the moment, and Reed has been steadily improving by the week it seems. Alperen Sengun has been connected in some rumors for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he finished at the bottom of our poll.

Tari Eason it is. We’ll be checking back close to the NBA Trade Deadline. Thanks for voting. Be back soon with more Reacts.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...likely-to-be-traded-alperen-sengun-tari-eason

 

[Houston Rockets]

It’s time for the Rockets to terrorize again

“It seems like most of the articles I’ve written since I (blissfully) returned to The Dream Shake have been some iteration of ‘the Rockets have the NBA’s second-best Offensive Rating, but they need to fix their offense.'”

That’s how I started my last piece. Nothing has changed. The Rockets have since hung a solid 119 points on the Lakers, but they hardly adjusted their approach. The shots went in. That said, something did feel different in that contest:

On the defensive end.

It’s easier to postulate about offensive improvements. The Rockets’ shortcomings on that end are readily diagnosable. They don’t move the ball enough. They isolate too often, even though they don’t isolate well. Open and shut.

The defense is a different story. Last year, Houston’s 110.3 Defensive Rating was fifth in the NBA. It also felt like the team’s identity. Now, they seem to distinguish themselves largely with offensive rebounding. This year’s 112.9 Defensive Rating lands ninth in the league. In the grand scheme of things, that’s barely above the median.

Against the Lakers, there was a tangible difference. The Rockets swarmed on defense. It looked like 2024-25:

Perhaps a certain defensive juggernaut’s return had something to do with that.

The Rockets are (mostly) healthy now​

No, not Dorian Finney-Smith. Although that’s another cause for celebration. Finney-Smith was a non-factor against Los Angeles, but rest assured, that won’t hold.

It was also Tari Eason’s second game back, but it was the first in which his presence was particularly pronounced. Eason’s 4 steals harkened back to better days.

And, ideally, brighter days ahead.

Remember the “Terror Twins”? Perhaps the moniker left something to be desired in terms of creativity, but it was optimal in its accuracy. Eason and Amen Thompson terrorized opponents as a bench duo last year:

This year, it’s time to do the same in the starting lineup.

The duo is +13.6 in the 218 minutes they’ve shared in 2025-26 (per databallr). That’s good, but a micro lens reveals some room for improvement. Thompson and Eason force opponents into a 13.6% Turnover Percentage, which is 1.2% below league average.

Wait, sorry – below league average?

Believe. Eason’s steals per game are down to 1.0 from 1.7. Thompson’s have stagnated, but as his point-of-attack responsibilities have increased, his menacing presence in passing lanes has become somewhat muted.

On that note, the Rockets’ roster changed from a defensive perspective this summer. They expected to mitigate the loss of Dillon Brooks, but Fred VanVleet was not accounted for. He’s been a “guard the other team’s best player” candidate at times, so long as they aren’t too tall. What’s the solution?

The Rockets need to step up their effort​

More terror. Substantially more terror.

This isn’t strictly about increasing the Terror Twin’s time together. That will happen naturally. Instead, it’s about what Eason and Thompson have encapsulated as a duo: Full effort, at all times, no matter what the circumstances.

That’s what Ime Udoka needs from the Rockets.

Light on point-of-attack defenders? OK – swarm harder. Switch faster. Communicate more. What choice do the Rockets have?

The eye test is a funny thing. The basketball purist suggests that it’s the ultimate measure, but it’s fraught with subjectivity. My eye is not your eye.

To my eye, the Rockets have been less effortful on defense this year than they were last year. To my eye, that changed against the Lakers. Here’s hoping that change is permanent:

It’s time to strike some terror in the hearts of opponents again.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...me-for-the-houston-rockets-to-terrorize-again