The Houston Rockets will go head to head with the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday (October 14) in their third preseason game in Birmingham, AL. This will be one of two games left in the preseason. The two young, electric teams will be testing out their rosters as Opening Night rapidly approaches. Both teams are currently 2-0 for their preseason records.
The Rockets stomped the Atlanta Hawks in the preseason opener 122-113, and dominated Utah Jazz with a final score of 140-127. Let’s take a look at what happened last week.
In the Jazz matchup last week (October 8), Kevin Durant made his Rockets debut, putting up 20 points and shooting at 70-percent from the field in the 23 minutes he was on the court. In his post-game interview, Durant expressed comfort being back at home, saying “I’ve felt right at home since I came here three or four weeks ago.” Durant also said he’s excited about spending the season in the paint with his new colleagues.
Last season, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, per ESPN. This veteran forward is on his way to the Hall of Fame and probably a couple of additional jersey retirements from Oklahoma City Thunder and, just maybe, the Rockets. Time will tell.
According to ESPN, over the span of his career, as of last week he’s racked up over 30,571 points and counting, joining seven other legends, like Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James. His current momentum puts him on track to surpass Michael Jordan.
Rookie and No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard fell in line and looked confident and comfortable out there. He put up 11 points in the 25 minutes he played. While Amen Thompson came off the bench and shared point guard responsibilities with Sheppard, Sheppard primarily played the role of Fred VanVleet in his absence, and fans were happy with his overall performance.
However, Thompson was certainly also a standout, contributing 19 points at 60-percent from the field and snagging seven rebounds.
Ime Udoka’s defense-first strategy shined through, as well. Houston boasted 18 turnovers thanks to Thompson, Sheppard, and center Alperen Şengün, with three, two, and two each, respectively. Udoka’s rotation decisions were definitely key to the defense's success, staggering Durant and other veteran leader Clint Capela to ensure there was a veteran on the court.
On Tuesday, we’ll see if that system continues to hold up. Zion Williamson and Kevon Looney will be the most difficult challenge because of their strength together in the frontcourt. Zion will no doubt be explosive, driving to the goal, and he’s virtually impossible to stop. We’ll see how Capela and Şengün perform under that pressure at the rim.
This game is a crucial glimpse into the upcoming season’s performances. Both teams have been experimenting with their fresh rosters and dominating as they do so. We’ll get to see how the young guys and benches are able to execute while developing. Most importantly for the Houston franchise though, it’ll be clear whether keeping Udoka was the right move to drive success.