Houston Rockets
The 2022-23 Houston Rockets can be defined by winning less than 23 games for a third straight season.
What did we learn?
This year was more of the same in H-Town.
As they did last season, the Rockets led the league in turnovers per game. And by posting the No. 27 offense and No. 29 defense, only the Spurs had a worse net rating.
Rockets’ fans constantly grumbled at head coach Stephen Silas, disliking his rotations and citing that the offense was aimless far too often. The Rox did appear to lack a sense of direction and stability. The Rockets’ brass eventually agreed.
Silas was let go after the season to the surprise of no one. A 59-177 record over three years will do that, but let’s remember that Silas never signed up to coach a rebuild, catching a tough break when Harden and Westbrook jetted from H-Town as soon as he arrived.
For as dark as it was living in the dungeon of the West standings for yet another year, there were still bright spots.
The Rockets had several big wins over good teams in the Sixers, Bucks, Suns (twice), Celtics and Nuggets. They also won four out of the last five games, closing out the season strong for a second straight year. (Yes, most other teams had already thrown in the towel on the regular season.)
The Rockets’ success this season all hinged on Jalen Green.
One of the crazier bellwether stats of the 2022-23 season: When Jalen Green played and scored 24+ points, the Rox were 16-17. When Green played and scored less than 24 points, the Rockets had a record of 4-39. (As is always the case, we still miss his hair.)
JG4 can get buckets. His speed, acceleration and hops are all top-tier. An electrifying night was Green’s career-high 42 points against the Wolves that helped end a Rockets 13-game losing streak.
There were a lot of losing streaks, but consistent fun and entertainment in Rockets’ games were provided by none other than Alperen Sengun. Al P took his scoring up a level this season with an increase in minutes played. And any time that Kevin Porter Jr. missed time, Sengun stepped seamlessly into more of a facilitating role.
Some have called Sengun a Walmart Jokic and it’s pretty easy to see why. He is not afraid to try any pass. The higher the difficulty, the more he likes it.
No. 3 overall pick Jabari Smith sure shot a lot more 3s than advertised. Smith averaged 5.1 3-point attempts per game at 31 percent for his rookie season. He had some rough games from beyond the arc, but he also finished with 18 games of three or more 3s. Props to the rook for continuing to hoist.
Jabari’s defense, his calling card, was legit. He had 19 games of 2+ blocks and nine games with multiple steals, earning his awesome nickname, the Locksmith.
Kevin Porter Jr.’s scoring increased this season, up to 19 points a night with more shot attempts and better efficiency. But his assists dropped and turnovers increased, not exactly what you want from your starting point guard.
The rumor that Woj brought to light on Christmas about Harden’s potential return to Houston has not subsided but rather picked up steam.
Thinking about a reunion between The Beard and Rockets’ owner Tillman Fertitta seemed bizarre at first when thinking about how Harden forced his way out of town, but the two are apparently still on good terms.
And thinking about a reunion between The Beard and Houston’s nightlife seems all too real.
It feels written in the stars.
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Additional Notes
Shoutout to Usman Garuba, who is always active and bringing high hustle in scarce minutes off the bench. Tari Eason certainly plays that way, too. Eason was the first rookie to play all 82 games since Anthony Edwards two years ago, and he was a second-team All-Rookie selection.
KJ Martin joined Eason as an 82-game Iron Man. Add KJ and Jae’Sean Tate to the high-energy Rockets list. They all play hard and with heart. Gotta respect that. KJ Martin really picked up his scoring after Eric Gordon’s departure at the trade deadline.
Going off of the above high-energy notion, the Rockets were No. 1 in the NBA in 2nd-chance points for the season and also the No. 1 offensive-rebounding team in the league.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
There’s too much Young Surprise Team potential here. Over 23.5 wins.
Rockets 2022-23 record: (22-60)
Close, but not quite.
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What’s Next?
The No. 4 pick in the draft. Lottery night was disappointing for Houston, but the Rockets do also have the No. 20 pick from the Clippers from the Eric Gordon trade. At No. 4, KOC currently projects Amen Thompson and describes him as an “electric shot creator with a distinguished combination of passing vision and zippy athleticism.” Let’s go! Sounds perfect for the Rox.
New Rockets head coach Ime Udoka could be the exact leader and no-nonsense guy that this franchise needs to get going in the right direction.
Find the right mix of vets to implement with all of the young guns. The Rockets currently have 13 players under contract but could create close to $60 million in cap space. KJ Martin has a $1.9 million team option that he’s definitely outplayed, yet would be a bargain for the Rockets.
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Favorite Rockets Highlight of the 2022-23 Season:
Walmart Jokic, for real.
