‘TIME FOR THE REAL GAMES’
Opener against Hawks provides first measuring stick of hoped-for progress
With the exception of getting through October with better health, and some of the playing time that would have come with it, the Rockets got nearly all they could have hoped from the preseason.
They won more games than they lost. The defense looked improved. The backcourt of Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. looked sharp and as in sync as in the lateseason push that forged so much hope that their partnership could key a Rockets revival.
And none of that matters now.
Studying before the test is necessary, but the test results speak for themselves.
The young Rockets, refurbished with three first-round picks, will not have to wait long to find what they have learned, with a brutal schedule to start the season beginning Wednesday in Atlanta against the Hawks and their own recharged backcourt with the addition of Dejounte Murray to work next to fellow All-Star Trae Young.
The Rockets, however, were more concerned with how they have changed since consecutive seasons with the NBA’s worst record.
“The energy is way better, way better, and there’s more togetherness this year,” Rockets guard Jalen Green said. “I think everyone here is excited to go into this season. We got a good team. We’ll battle.”
Though optimism is as much a part of season openers as dimming the lights and blaring the music, the Rockets needed a fresh start and the renewed hope that comes with it.
When it was suggested that the Hawks are expected to have one of the league’s best backcourts, Green quickly added, “We have one of the best backcourts, too.”
“It’s going to be exciting,” Green said. “Dejounte is from Seattle (where he was Porter’s high school teammate and mentor.) I’ve known Trae through Adidas. It’s going to be a good battle. I think it’s going to be who’s the best backcourt. I’m not going to say who is, but we’re confident in our skill and our work we put in. So, it’s going to be fun.
“We’re just trying to win the game.”
The game also will bring the debut of Jabari Smith Jr., the third pick of the 2022 draft who after Green was the second pick of the 2021 draft gives the Rockets top three picks in consecutive seasons for the first time since Hakeem Olajuwon joined Ralph Sampson and Rodney McCray in 1984. Smith said he is ready for
the opener despite losing much of his preseason to a sprained ankle, and to play his first NBA game in his hometown.
“It’s real cool,” Smith said. “When I saw the schedule come out, I was real excited, a lot of people were texting me, telling me they were going to be at the game, there to support me. A real homecoming so I’m excited about it.”
Smith called the Hawks “one of the best teams in the league.” Still, Smith said even with the time out, he is ready, more so than even in summer league.
“It’s more excitement and readiness,” he said. “I felt all my jitters went away in summer league and playing my first preseason game.”
Though Smith’s injury, and the absence of Jae’Sean Tate because of a sore ankle, are setbacks, the preseason brought positive signs.
Outscored by 8.4 points per game last season, ranking 29th in the league, the Rockets outscored opponents by 13.5 points in a 3-1 preseason. The Rockets averaged 120.5 points in the preseason with the fourth-rated offense. After ranking last defensively last season, were 12th in the preseason.
“We seem ready,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “It’s funny, the practice before the first game, there’s just a different vibe to it. They concentrated very well and did everything we wanted to do, but you could tell there’s a little something, anxiety, something.
“We know what to expect from more guys than we did at this time last year. I do think we have a better chance than we had last year. Our defense is better. There’s a lot that feels better, but the games are coming.”
Silas said he has specific goals for the season that he would not share. Less specifically, he expects to see better ball movement offensively and communication defensively.
He also could change the lineup, with indications that the Rockets will weigh whether to start Alperen Sengun or Bruno Fernando at center, and as always must weigh whether to start Eric Gordon or bring him off the bench. Whatever Silas chooses, he said that could change again.
“We’re going to see a bunch of different lineups,” Silas said. “That’s going to be something I’m going to be wrestling with most of the season, hopefully, because that means we’re moving in the right direction.”
With the rebuild in progress, featuring seven first-round picks in the past two seasons, the Rockets expected to move in a better direction. The preseason offered positive signs, but that still must be tested.
“We’re not putting all our eggs in the Atlanta basket,” Silas said. “This is a process of many, many games. Yeah, we’re excited about getting out there and playing Atlanta and having the first regular season game. I’m sure there will be some jitters because we have a bunch of young guys. For me, this is the start of us figuring out who we are and how we can play well.”
If preseason games can be trusted, they already have. But they also know that is barely a start with a long way to go.
“I feel like we’re ready but during the season, there’s still work you add on,” Rockets forward K.J. Martin said. “You learn from each game. I feel like we had a great preseason. Now, it’s time for the real games to start.”