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[Houston Rockets]

NBA All-Star Saturday

Inglewood, CA - January 16: The 2026 NBA All-Star Game coming to the Intuit Dome in Inglewood on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images

NBA All Star Saturday rolls out with…Adam Silver’s press conference!

Then it moves on to The (State Farm) Three Point Shootout, The (KIA) Shooting Stars, and then the AT&Love Slam Dunk. What better way to spend St. Valentine’s day with these contests? What, you say, with romance or love? Sure, but what about Shooting Stars? Isn’t that part of it? Maybe your love is already a slam dunk? Or best it’s a shot from distance? Anyway, the NBA and Valentines go together like sushi and queso.

Things start off at 4pm Central on NBA/Peacock and last as long as they last, I guess?

A player who hasn’t played a single minute of NBA basketball wins the three point shoot out. You may remember him from Rockets nightmares: Damien Lillard.

I don’t really know what the contest is. I’m glad KIA is sponsoring it, as I have definitely seen, and driven, KIAs. Honestly though, I prefer a kea.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rockets-news/38360/nba-all-star-saturday

 

[Houston Rockets]

NBA All-Star Sunday Night

Feb 15, 2026; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Spike Lee on the red carpet before the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

NBA All-Star Sunday Night​

Sunday, February 15, 2026​

Time: 4pm CST

Location: Intuit Dome – Inglewood, California

TV: NBA – Peacock

Discuss the new All-Star format here!

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rockets-game-threads/38375/nba-all-star-sunday-night

 

[Houston Rockets]

Are the Rockets too reliant on Fred VanVleet?

If, and, but. Three of the most aggravating words in the English language.

If the Houston Rockets had known Fred VanVleet would get injured, they wouldn’t have traded for Kevin Durant. That’s the scuttlebutt, anyway. Who can say for sure?

Rafael Stone is infamously opaque. His tightly managed, unusually small front office is shadowy. Fans complain, but we should be glad to have management that’s not routinely spilling the tea.

All of which makes Ben DuBose’s recent reporting especially intriguing. Ben is a good egg. He doesn’t peddle smut. It’s likely that if he’s reporting this, he heard it somewhere. Let’s assume it’s true:

What does it mean?

The Rockets believe in Fred VanVleet​

There’s a human tendency to hear something that makes intuitive sense and repeat it without questioning it. The latest jingoism out of the Rockets’ fanbase is “If the team was relying on Fred VanVleet that much, they were never contenders anyway”.

There’s also a false star player/role player dichotomy that a lot of fans subscribe to. VanVleet is, for example, “better” than Zach LaVine, if “better” is defined as helping a team win instead of racking up stats. The question here is, how impactful is VanVleet?

Let’s break open the CleaningTheGlass. VanVleet was running point for four of the Rockets’ six positive lineups in 2024-25. He was part of their best lineup. When he was with Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun, the Rockets were +30.9 across 130 possessions.

This was all amid something of a down year for VanVleet. He posted a 0.9 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) after hitting 3.4 in 2023-24. It’s been a trend throughout VanVleet’s career: When he’s on the floor, teams tend to play better.

That 3.4 BPM is sniffing star-level production. That’s not to say VanVleet is a star in a traditional sense:

But the Rockets are right to account for his presence.

The Rockets needed VanVleet this year​

It’s less about production and more about functionality. VanVleet isn’t the Rockets’ engine. He’s closer to their windshield:

Sure, you could drive without it, but at some point(s) throughout the year, it’s going to be awfully uncomfortable.

The Rockets’ success last year was predicated on winning the possession game. They dominated the offensive glass and kept the turnovers as low as possible. VanVleet is the king of the assist-to-turnover ratio, and neither Thompson nor Reed Sheppard is ascending to the throne anytime soon.

It’s hard to hold this front office accountable for planning on having their starting point guard. One could argue that they should have used Clint Capela’s contract on another point guard, but then, Steven Adams also suffered a season-ending injury, and he’s also essential to Houston’s structural integrity.

Dorian Finney-Smith? Hindsight bias. Tripling down on 3-and-D wings means cornering a market scarcity. Nobody anticipated that Finney-Smith would average 2.9 points on 24.5% three-point shooting in 2025-26 (dear, merciful, God!).

Besides, the Rockets clearly wanted to reserve point guard reps for Thompson and Sheppard. They would have comfortably covered backup point guard duties this year.

So no, it’s not unreasonable that the Rockets would have opted against Durant if they’d known about VanVleet. If you think that suggests too much reliance on VanVleet, you’re misunderstanding VanVleet. The Rockets didn’t think he was the star they were pairing Durant with. They knew he was fundamentally essential to what they do:

But it’s too late now.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...-houston-rockets-too-reliant-on-fred-vanvleet

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets Kevin Durant finds himself at center of avoidable social media drama

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets and Team USA Stripes looks on during the 75th NBA All-Star Game at Intuit Dome on February 15, 2026 in Inglewood, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Kevin Durant LOVES social media. Well, Twitter in particular. He engaged with fans on online platforms more than any other superstar ever seen.

In any sport, most likely. His teammate, Houston Rockets point guard Fred VanVleet stated that Durant will fire up a tweet and then go get his ankles taped up, or go on about his daily basketball preparation routine.

Which means posting on Twitter has become part of his daily routine. Which is okay.

Hell, the man was visibly on his phone through the All-Star game.

Durant has even joined Twitter Spaces a time or two. Which also isn’t a bad thing.

One of those times was in the offseason. Players can do what they wish in the offseason.

Or when they’re not on the hardwood.

However, Durant has gotten himself into scandals involving burner accounts on social media.

As a side note, the use of burner accounts is fairly common amongst athletes. Jalen Green openly admitted that he has a handful of them.

What’s unusual about Durant is that his burner accounts seem to get exposed.

Key words: seem to.

Because we ultimately don’t know.

Well, there was a situation in 2017 that’s been confirmed by Durant himself. He unknowingly tweeted from his own account defending himself against the backlash he’d received for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors.

Durant clearly intended to tweet from a non-verified account, in that situation.

Over the weekend, Durant became the subject of another situation, this time involving a group chat on Twitter with a burner account.

This time, it’s been unverified. But based on Durant’s history with fake accounts on Twitter, many believe there’s merit here.

This time, a Twitter user with just 75 followers (and a now private account) was seen commenting in a group chat about many of Durant’s former teammates.

Specifically Ben Simmons, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry.

Durant’s current Rockets teammates were also mentioned.

Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun, in particular.

Again, there is no way to confirm whether this was Durant himself.

However, he could shut it down directly, if he so desired.

(He has no problem using the platform to call people out or shut things down).

This could be a random person posing as Durant. Let’s hope it is.

Because if otherwise, this is entirely immature, and avoidable, I should add.

And based on his past, there’s no way to dismiss it with absolute certainty.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...f-at-center-of-avoidable-social-media-scandal

 

[Houston Rockets]

The Rockets are losing the math game

The relationship between NBA basketball and math has long been tenuous.

You’ve seen the debates. The stat nerd vs the hooper. Metrics vs the eye test. It’s as false a dichotomy as one could imagine. To understand basketball, you need both. That will always be the case.

Anyway, the 2025-26 Houston Rockets need a math tutor. Their calculations are off. They’re losing the math game:

And the numbers aren’t lying.

Rockets need to improve efficiency​

If you’re reading this, you surely know that the Rockets don’t shoot many threes. In fact, their 34.0% three-point frequency ranks dead last in the NBA.

They hit a high percentage of those triples. Houston’s 37.0% three-point shooting ranks sixth. That amounts to 11.3 made threes per game, which lands 24th in the NBA.

That would be fine – if the Rockets hit a high percentage of their twos. This team wasn’t built to overwhelm opponents with three-point shooting. They were built to dominate the offensive glass and win the math game with extra possessions.

They’re still dominating the glass. Houston’s 39.9% Offensive Rebounding Percentage is first in the league by a long shot. It’s just a somewhat moot point when they’re hitting 52.3% of their two-point field goal attempts.

That’s second-last in the NBA.

That’s right. Only the Pacers hit a lower percentage of their twos. This is a gap year for the Pacers. Despite the significance of Fred VanVleet’s absence, the same cannot be said for the Rockets.

So let’s break out the calculators. What can the Rockets do?

The Rockets must play to their strengths​

They shouldn’t be thinking about increasing their three-point volume too dramatically.

They simply do not have the personnel. Sure, Ime Udoka ought to have a little more faith in Reed Sheppard. He could bolster the three-point volume a bit, but he’s only one NBA sophomore. That won’t meaningfully move the needle.

Above all else, the Rockets need to hit a higher percentage of their twos.

The elephant in the room: Alperen Sengun needs to be more efficient. He just does. He’s hitting 69.7% of his shots between zero-and-three feet. That’s a career high, but it’s still not high enough.

For context, Giannis Antetokounmpo hits 81.1% of his field goals from the same area. Nikola Jokic hits 78.6% of his bunnies.

Am I being unfair by comparing Sengun to the best players in the NBA? OK. Domantas Sabonis hits 69.9% of his attempts from the same range. Newsflash:

The Rockets need Alperen Sengun to be better than Domantas Sabonis.

Holding the young star to a high standard should not be frowned upon. Sengun doesn’t offer much from three-point range, so to be a star playmaker, he needs to make hay at the rim. That’s what the math dictates.

Otherwise, Amen Thompson is hitting 75.0% of his shots between zero-and-three. That’s consistent with last year (75.8%), but his volume is significantly down (36.1% from 42.0%). That’s likely symptomatic of his on-ball work. When Thompson is setting up in the halfcourt, it’s easier for defenses to force him into the midrange. Taking him back off the ball and putting him in a position to cut and attack closeouts could get him back at the rim more often.

That’s about it, as far as my solutions go. I’m no math wizard. Let it be said that the Rockets don’t need to play brutal, D’Antoni-style stat-ball. They do need to find a way to improve on their dreadful two-point efficiency if they’re going to be a low-volume three-point shooting club:

Otherwise, the numbers just aren’t in their favor.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...ckets-alperen-sengun-are-losing-the-math-game

 

[Houston Rockets]

Houston Rockets vs. Charlotte Hornets game preview

HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 05: Jabari Smith Jr. #10 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket against Kon Knueppel #7 of the Charlotte Hornets in the first half at Toyota Center on February 05, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Since the last time these teams met, the Houston Rockets actually won a couple of games and looked like a real basketball team before the All-Star break came and, well…you know. The Charlotte Hornets finally lost a game while getting into a big fight with the Detroit Pistons. Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate are suspended for tonight’s contest due to the dustup.

Still, these teams were heading in opposite directions when the break happened. For the eternally optimistic, that should be a boon for the Rockets and trouble for the Hornets. What I remember from the first matchup between these teams was the clear difference in confidence and energy. Charlotte was playing like a team that was excited to be in the building and the Rockets looked like they just got off a 9-to-5 shift at the quarry and couldn’t wait to go home and take their shoes off.

With a win tonight, the Hornets could be the first (and maybe only?) team to sweep the Rockets this season. I expect Brandon Miller, LaMelo Ball, and Kon Kneuppel to each drop 20 tonight.

Tip-off​

6pm CT

How To Watch​

Space City Home Network

Injury Report​

Rockets​

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Hornets​

Coby White: OUT

Moussa Diabate: OUT

Miles Bridges: OUT

The Line (as of this post)​

Hou -4.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can​

Saturday in New York against the New York Knicks

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...ton-rockets-vs-charlotte-hornets-game-preview

 

[Houston Rockets]

NBA front office rankings are out; where are the Rockets?

Oct 2, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone smiles before the preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Earlier this week, CBS released their post trade deadline NBA front office rankings. To nobody’s surprise, the Oklahoma City Thunder came in at first, but what was surprising to me is that only one other team (Boston Celtics) ranked above the Houston Rockets, which means that they’re the second-highest-ranked front office in the Western Conference, surpassing the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Houston was placed behind OKC because of Oklahoma’s near flawless roster construction. From acquirng Shai Gilgeous Alexander in the Paul George deal to selecting rotation players such as AJ Mitchell with 38th pick, to acquiring Isiah Hartnstein on a frontloaded contract to allow them more flexibility when their core becomes due for extensions to even curating their own head coach in the G Leauge, its safe to say OKC is putting on a front office masterclass, which makes sense when you factor in OKC’s near flawless roster building.

Houston was also placed below Boston, but this is likely giving the Celtics front office a lot of credit for how they have revamped their team in the wake of the Jayson Tatum injury. “Last May, the Celtics were staring down a half-billion-dollar payroll with their historic repeater tax bill factored in. They’ve since managed to not only get below the second apron, but duck the luxury tax entirely without giving away a single first-round pick to do it.”

CBS ended up ranking Houston ahead of San Antonio, which is surprising considering their draft history in recent memory. However, author Sam Quin admitted to not factoring in draft lottery luck in prior rankings, and stated that “But we can’t ignore the reality that the foundation of their success right now hinged on the lottery. If they win a championship in the near future, that will be the single biggest reason why. If Houston wins a championship in the near future, it will have less to do with luck.” Additonally, Houston passing on Stephon Castle for Reed Sheppard is starting to make more sense, as Reed is having an excellent Sophomore season.

Houston returns from the All-Star break to play the Hornets in Charlotte at 6:00 p.m. Central, and you can catch the game on SPCHN or NBA League Pass. As always,be sure to check back here at the Dreamshake for pre- and post-game coverage.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rocke...ankings-are-out-where-are-the-houston-rockets

 

[Houston Rockets]

Rockets Shoo Away Hornets 105-101

Feb 19, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Dickerson (7) takes a jump shot against Charlotte Hornets forward Tidjane Salaun (31) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

This is a kind of glass half full win. The glass isn’t entirely full, but nor is it entirely empty. It’s definitely better than a close loss by a reverse of this score. Tonight the Rockets tied their season series with Charlotte. That’s pretty good, considering how well the Horncats have played lately and that they’ve seen this very hot Hornets team twice in their past few games. Tonight’s loss brought the Hornets down to 8-2 over their last 10 games. The Rockets remain a solid B at 6-4.

The Hornets average over 115 points per game. The Rockets held them to 101, with defense we have not really seen since early in the season. Half full!

I wonder if we haven’t seen as much of that defense in the past month or six weeks because it’s an exhausting way to do things in the NBA, hoping you can hold opponents to around 100 points, when NBA average scoring is 114. With the All Star Break the Rockets returned re-energized perhaps, because they totaled 23 “stocks” with 15 steals and eight blocks. Half full, right? Also, half empty, as it’s difficult to believe the Rockets will get so many stocks every night.

The Rockets won despite shooting 28% from three point range, on a goodly number of open shots. Half full! But they started the game on pace to shoot about 40 3pt shots after the first half, but reverted to form and ended up shooting 32. Which is above their second lowest in the NBA season average, at least.

The Hornets shot 10 more 3pt shots, and they didn’t make they at a much better rate than the Rockets. But those 10 extra three pointers more or less kept the Hornets in the game late, when they really should have returned to their papery nest for the night.

Kevin Durant, or perhaps “Mr. Dickerson”, had a splendid night. He played a relatively low 36 minutes. He scored 35pts on 14-20 shooting, with 8rbs, 4ast, 1stl, and 3blk. He was 2-4 from three. Also everything else was a high degree of difficulty two point shot. He didn’t get the ball as often at the top of the 3pt arc, which reduced turnovers and sped up the offense slightly, so glass half full, overall.

KD didn’t end up hurting the Rockets, as he has some of his nights with a truly godawful number of live ball turnovers. In fact, this might have been one of his best games as a Rocket. Half full!

Half empty, this is good, because the Rockets definitely needed every tough, contested, mid range jumper he could provide. The next highest Rockets scorer was Jabari Smith Jr, who had a nice night, at 15pts on 6-9. Sengun had 13, and continues to struggle somewhat on offense, only going 6-16, but totaling a team high 7 assists. Reed Sheppard also had 13, but on 5-12 shooting. Reed seems to be able to either make threes, or twos, but not both at the same time. Still, his 24 minutes were the highest +/- of any bench player, and his impact, despite the half emptiness of his 3pt shot tonight, was positive.

I do have a “glass actually full” player tonight. Perhaps you weren’t expecting it to be Dorian Finney-Smith, but it was, overall. He didn’t post a huge statline, but a useful one, and he was a useful player. For the first time DFS looked like a veteran NBA player. Hopefully that’s what the Rockets will get going forward, as Josh Okogie seems to be the latest player banished to Imeberia. He might be hurt, but if not, playing him would have meant playing 10 players, and that’s straight insane.

Let’s be happy with this win, over a team that’s been one of the best in NBA over the past eight weeks. The Rockets are in third place, but also in a virtual with Denver in the Western Conference after Jamal Murray missed a game tying, and hard grifted, free throw with less than a second left in regulation.

Source: https://www.thedreamshake.com/rockets-scores-results/38435/rockets-shoo-away-hornets-105-101