Two straight 52-win seasons, two early exits
Houston got the league’s media day calendar started on Tuesday, a week before the other 28 teams, because the Rockets fly to Macao for the NBA China Games on October 9 and 11. What came out of the Toyota Center was less about new uniforms and more about a ceiling the team keeps hitting.
The Rockets went 52-30 last season and took the fifth seed in the West. They had won 52 the year before too. Both runs ended in the first round. Ime Udoka did not dress it up. “Decent regular season, due to circumstances, but it could have been a lot better,” the coach said, noting how often his side blew double-digit leads. “We’re not here to just make the first round. We want to make some real noise.”
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VanVleet back in five-on-five
The biggest piece of news concerned Fred VanVleet. The point guard missed last season after tearing his right ACL and meniscus, and Udoka confirmed he is now fully cleared and playing five-on-five in practice. The staff do not plan to use him on back-to-backs early on.
“I’ve been progressing nicely,” VanVleet said. “It’s going to be a process still, so I’m sure what you guys see won’t be the finished product, but I’m in a really good spot.”
General manager Rafael Stone admitted the roster was “under-skilled” last year, which fed turnovers and a stodgy half-court attack. VanVleet’s return, Steven Adams’ screening and the signing of former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart are meant to fix that. Houston also extended Amen Thompson and Tari Eason over the summer.
Durant’s future and a longer rotation
Kevin Durant starts his 20th NBA season after averaging 26.0 points on 52/41/87 shooting in his first year in Houston. He holds a player option for 2027-28, and Stone said the club will sit down with him after the season, as it did this year. “The one thing he wanted to make clear was how much he enjoyed it, and how much he wanted to be here,” Stone said.
Udoka wants to lighten the load on Durant and Thompson with a deeper bench, up to ten men. Thompson will play more off the ball and spend more energy on defence. “It’s easier said than done to play a 10-man rotation, but there are a lot of deserving guys,” Udoka said.
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