Nothing much else to say except he's finally looking like he's out of his slump. Looks more confident, taking more shots, involving himself more. I know Jabari is one of the players people are more keen to use for trades, but his archetype is really the perfect 4/5 to play next to Sengun.

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jabari-smith-stats-in-first-12-games-this-season

https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/jabari-smith-stats-in-past-9-games

"Someone more talented than me should replace the ball with a big W so we can use it as a meme when we win"

• Nelsonmuntz2020

Will we know who we play in the QuarterFinal Cup game after tomorrow’s games? Is there a chance we might play the mavs? Or is it only between Okc, Phoenix, and San Antonio? Thanks!

Here me out. Please just hear me out

1. I’m not insulting anybody for being a cuck. You are entitled to live your life how you want to life as long as you aren’t hurting anybody lmao

2. Just me hear out

I’ve noticed lots of “rockets” fans diminish our core

Now… I get not being ecstatic or high on everything the rockets do but….

The fans begging for us to strip our young core for us to get a star pushing retirement will never make sense to me

Then when the rockets fan (me) questions hmmm maybe we shouldn’t strip our young core for an aging star I get rockets fans saying I’m an idiot for not wanting a superstar because that’s the only possible way to be a serious contender

I understand majority of rockets fans don’t feel this way but whenever I have discussions on NBA reddit I get told I’m an idiot for not thinking Sengun should be traded for an aging star

To make it worse I get rockets fans also calling me an idiot for thinking a 22 year old that’s arguably top 15 in the league has a little more trade value than 37 year old Durant (maybe 36 lol)

Now you might ask how does this make them cucks…..

Well because there open to having the rockets destroyed right in front of their eyes

They okay with their loved one (the rockets) being ravaged by other NBA GM’s

Also yes I’m trolling with the Cuck Stuff

These last 4 years has been hell for us as fans. From all the stuff we’ve been through with Harden sabotaging his way out to our Rockets falling short of getting the first pick in the draft even though we had the worst record (obviously I know it wasn’t a guarantee but that doesn’t make the pain hurt less lol).

Let’s remember what we felt those years and not let what’s happening now make us forget. I’ve seen too many of us at this moment being too cocky and that’s fine but it’s still very early in the season. We also must remember that our team looks amazing now but they still aren’t where they should be (offensively). Enjoy each win but let’s do it amongst each other and not in other subs. 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

This picture just goes hard! And epitomizes everything that the Rockets have been since Ime took over.

"Grit and Fight"

https://preview.redd.it/wtu2g2v6ni4e1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=f9b475592eb886e8bc491b5e3d7a3f789fdb74cb

It’s really weird how Reed has played in so many games and proved to be a weak link on both ends but Cam Whitmore can’t get any minutes? I like Reed but come on is his defense that much better than a 6’5 stallion? Ya remember that Cam was the original half of the terror twins? I need him in the rotation ASAP. Reed needs to go play in the Gleague it’s looking like favoritism quite frankly. Jalen green has elevated out of the low iq player so having 1 bucket getter tunnel vision bucket getter isn’t going to hurt us for 5 mins a game.

This team is deep. We knew that going into the season. The players, coaches, fans, media, we all knew it.

The main conversation around the Rockets success has been “Do the rockets have a 1A superstar that can carry them?”.

The answer is yes. It’s just not the same player every game. All 7 of our main rotational players have had games where you can definitively say they were the most impactful player in the game.

We all knew Udoka would handle minutes allocations in a relatively meritocratic manner and so far this season he has done so.

We’ve seen minutes and usage fluctuate from game to game and when asked about it, Ukoda will usually respond with (paraphrasing) “we go with whoever we think will have the best matchup”

When you have 7 different players that can go off on any given night, offensively, defensively, in the paint, on the perimeter, in transition etc. it is incredibly hard to game plan for.

Everyone is buying in, disregarding personal stats and achievements for the success of the team overall, letting teammates shine when they’re having an off night, & finding other ways to contribute.

Rockets fans are so used to having 1 guy dominate the offensive system and putting up MVP caliber seasons. There’s pros and cons to that. The pros are that an elite offense playmaker can raise the floor of their teammates. The cons are that when that player has a rare off night, it is unbelievably difficult to get anything else going & it is easier for opposing defenses to neutralize 1 player rather than 5.

In conclusion, the 1A superstar conversation is dumb & people have been saying it for months. It’s tired, it’s unoriginal, and given how good we’ve been to start the season, it’s clearly wrong.

I've found myself more excited for Rockets games than Texans games this year.

I expected the Rockets to improve, but I also didn't expect the Texans to get worse.

The Texans were supposed to be one of the possible teams that could potentially take down the Chiefs. But they don't feel like a championship contender or a top team in the AFC.

We hoped the Rockets would improve enough to at least make the play-in this year. But they've looked like more than a play-in team.

Will the Rockets be a top 4 team in the West and get home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs?

Or is it still too soon for this young core?

Did some teams in the West just get worse?

I'm not sure but it feels like the Rockets might be closer to contending than the Texans.

As it stands, we’d be matched up against James Harden’s Clippers in the playoffs. Sure, it’s still very early, but imagine our young Rockets squad taking on Harden and Kawhi (assuming Kawhi finally gets healthy and the Clippers make it through the play-in). I can’t think of a more exciting first-round series for us as our playoff drought comes to an end.

Also, what sort of reception do you think James Harden would receive in a playoff environment?

https://x.com/jtgatlin/status/1863416637619159518?s=46

OUR GOAT IS STILL THAT GUY!!!

Source

OffRtg: 112.5 (16) DefRtg: 104.3 (2) NetRtg: +8.2 (4) Pace: 100.4 (10)

• All three of their games last week went down to the wire, even though the Rockets had double-digit leads in each. They’ve been the league’s third-best first-quarter team (plus 15 per 100 possessions), having won the opening period in 15 of their 21 games. That includes a 33-28 first quarter against the Thunder (one of two teams that have been better in the first quarter overall) on Sunday.

• On Wednesday, Jalen Green scored 18 of the team’s 35 first-quarter points in Philadelphia, finishing with 41. It was a nice response after he played 23 minutes the night before in Minnesota, though the fourth-year guard is still registering a career-low true shooting percentage of 52.1% and the Rockets have still been at their best (plus-14.8 per 100 possessions) with him off the floor.

With the back-to-back, overtime wins in Minnesota and Philly, the Rockets are 6-3 on the road, with two of the three losses having come by three points or fewer. Last season, they didn’t get their sixth road win until March 2.

Neutral fan here (Magic). Thought I’d pop in here and quickly mention how much I loved watching the Rockets vs OKC game on the Rockets feed.

Your commentators really made the experience in the 4th quarter extra awesome. They made the game feel so huge and they got so invested in every moment, it made an already great game even more riveting to watch. I especially loved how they exploded with excitement after the Fred VanVleet logo 3, the emotion in sports is what makes it so special for me.

The league is getting bigger and bigger at the center position. Sengun is our best player and integral to the team but he does not match up very well against the super lanky tall guys.

I really wanted Zach Edey in the 2024 draft (I also wanted Reed too, I was hoping Rockets will trade future picks to acquire Edey). However, that ship has sailed.

What we really need is a Clingan/Edey type player who can be that enforcer coming off the bench against Chet and Wemby. They would also need to be good enough offensively that they are playable when Sengun is on the bench.

I haven't looked into next year's draft but is there someone of that calibre we can pick up with the Sun's pick?

No other team has done that more than twice so far. Our defense is strong! 💪

Do you think people will still claim he is a liability on defense after this season? Did he silence the haters (I mean, at this point haters, it was valid concern in the first 3 years)?