The Rockets Houston

Kobe Bryant was one of the most influential players to ever step foot on the basketball court. Even after his tragic passing back in January, NBA fans will never forget his legacy. Athletes from all around the globe loved Kobe. One prime example of that is the players’ collections of Kobe’s sneakers. P. J. Tucker is unarguably known as the sneaker king all around the league. However, according to Tucker, it’s not him who has collected most Kobe sneakers. He revealed the name in a recent interview with the ‘Better Generation’. “ Isiah Thomas takes it over. Every time he gets his (Sneakers), he’ll hit me up. I’ll be like why you put so little bro I need those. He got some crazy, especially the ones he got when he was with the Lakers.  “ DeMar DeRozan for sure the number one Kobe fan… He’s like a Kobe F like DeMar is crazy like I am crazy Kobe (fan). DeMar is like another level, he’s another level. When it comes to Kobe like straight Kobe is DeMar for sure for sure. DeMar’s got mo...

With the Houston Rockets in need of additional shooters while also being on a limited budget, Gerald Green should be in store for a reunion with the franchise. After being traded away in a four-team deal earlier this year, Houston native Gerald Green finds himself a free-agent and eyes a return to the Houston Rockets. The Rockets took a step back in terms of 3-point shooting, as they finished 24th in 3-point percentage during the 2019-20 season. Adding shooters typically carries a hefty price tag, which makes a Green reunion even more likely, as he was last signed on the veteran’s minimum. According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic  (subscription required), Green has been training in his hometown of Houston, in hopes of reaching a deal with Rockets GM Rafael Stone. Green was sent to the Denver Nuggets as part of the Robert Covington deal earlier this year and was later bought out, which allowed him to rehab a foot injury that costed him the entire 2019-20 NBA season. Based on Iko’s...

In a recent installment of the mystery that is Danuel House Jr., the Houston Rockets swingman posted a video a month after his unexpected exit from the NBA’s bubble in Orlando. House, who was sporting a new do and a clean shave, posted a 13-second video on social media and went on to ramble, do a bit of lip biting and ended it all with a few heavy sighs. Didn’t make any sense to you? Well, it shouldn’t have. Watch House’s bizarre video here: Is everything good with Danuel House? 😂 (h/t @LeagueAlerts ) pic.twitter.com/8X4eZHv8VQ — NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) October 22, 2020 This peculiar video leaves us all with a ton of questions on what’s going on inside the head of the second-year Rockets role player. A few hours after, House posted a follow-up story on his Instagram page that he was just simply happy about his hair. Danuel House’s second season with Houston was a bit rocky, but he still managed to put up decent numbers as a valuable reserve option for Mike D’Antoni...

The Houston Rockets seem to possess a double-edged sword in their arsenal. They have a fat percentage of their salary cap going into the accounts of James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The duo was good enough in the regular-season to get them the #4 seed. But they were poor enough in the post-season to enter Game 7 against the Thunder and lose 1-4 against the Lakers. The Rockets have blown away many 1st-round draft picks in recent years and the trend continues. Daryl Morey, who is now stepping down as the GM of Rockets, has always chosen unconventional ways to design the roster. It now seems that the DNA of the organization is here to stay after a recent comment from the team’s owner. [embedded content] The Houston Rockets fans can expect the same leaders in 2020-21 In a recent interview, Tilman Fertitta accepted, “ You have James Harden and Russell Westbrook and you have almost 90 percent of your salaries tied up in them and Eric Gordon.” He added, “ But anytime you have players ...

Winslow Townson (USA Today) The Houston Rockets are in a fairly dire situation. They just got decimated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the playoffs. They'll have a new coach and a new general manager next season. They owe two first-round picks and two pick swaps to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their two superstars, James Harden and Russell Westbrook, are now in their 30s and have hefty contracts still on the books. That isn't uncommon for Houston. They owe their top five players almost $120 million, and will almost certainly pay the luxury tax next season.  The future is not particularly bright in Houston.  With that in mind, there is an argument to be made in favor of kickstarting a rebuild now. Trading Harden would still net a significant return, but the longer they wait, the less likely that is to be true. Wait too long, and they might be stuck with aging versions of Harden, Westbrook and Eric Gordon that are no longer capable of contending. For now,...

Houston Rockets Russell Westbrook James Harden (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) Newly promoted Houston Rockets general manager Rafael Stone will have to immediately get to work, as the Rockets have several pressing decisions that need to be made. With the 2019-20 NBA season officially in the books, the next chapter for the Houston Rockets is the 2020 offseason, which has been an eventful one thus far. The Rockets were dealt a sizable blow in the front office, as longtime general manager Daryl Morey decided to step down, opting to maximize on quality time with his family, and rightfully so. Morey becomes the third front office member to leave the Rockets within the past year, as Monte McNair departed for the Sacramento Kings’ front office vacancy earlier in the offseason, which comes a year after Gersson Rosas joined the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Rockets promoted Rafael Stone to fill Morey’s position and promoted Eli Witus as Stone’s assistant GM. The Rockets had a fairly s...

After the Houston Rockets traded away Clint Capela, they nearly pulled off a trade that would have landed Capela’s replacement. When the Houston Rockets‘ brass traded Clint Capela for 3-and-D specialist Robert Covington, they did so knowing they needed to replace Capela with a big man. With the Rockets seeking to avoid the luxury tax, they needed the player to be on a fairly low salary, which gave them plenty of options. Rockets franchise star James Harden had proven to be successful with having a center who could set screens, roll to the basket, and catch lobs over the top. The last part has proven to have extreme value and importance, as it impacted the ways in which opposing teams defended Harden. The Rockets were rumored to have been close to landing a center, but the deal was never done, leading the franchise to settle on Bruno Caboclo, and leading the fans to wonder who the player was that the Houston Rockets were on the cusp of adding. ESPN’s Rockets beat writer Tim MacMaho...

With Austin Rivers potentially parting ways with the Houston Rockets this offseason, a revived Isaiah Thomas could be an option in Space City. After battling a hip injury in the last few years of his well-traveled NBA career, Isaiah Thomas informed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Monday that he is ready to return to the court next season. The two-time NBA All-Star will be a free agent and should draw interest from a few teams in need of guard depth. The Houston Rockets should put themselves in the mix. With Rockets guard Austin Rivers having a player option this offseason, Houston can package him in a trade if he opts in to maintain some cap space. If he doesn’t, that would make it easier to offer a contract to Isaiah Thomas. It’s unlikely Thomas would be searching for a large deal and more of an opportunity to prove that, as a 31-year-old undersized guard, he can still contribute to a contending team. “Thomas is now a free agent and has his sights set on finding a new home for t...

Hopefully we all have aired our grievances and enough time has passed since the Rockets were defeated by The Anointed Team. As it turns out, maybe you don’t want LeBron James in the playoffs as much as you thought you did. I love seeing L.A. play Miami, as there seems to be real Heat, so to speak, between that franchise and LeBron. The question for the Rockets going forward is possibly not wacky mastery of the ESPN NBA Trade Machine, in hopes of (yet another) radical shakeup of the roster, but rather, a consideration of what the Rockets want to be. Should the Rockets remain a small ball team? Should they shoot three pointers so heavily? What should their defense look like? How rigidly should they adhere to their doctrine? One of the problems I believe I have perceived in the playoffs in the past two years (and the regular season as well) is that if an opponent “solves” the Rockets, or at least gains advantage once, they have it for the entire series, as the Rockets do little to ...

Houston Rockets Jeff Green (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) The Houston Rockets are intent on playing small ball in 2021. With no draft picks and limited cap space, they’ll need to be active in the trade market to upgrade their roster. Here are three trade targets who could thrive playing small ball. The Houston Rockets want to continue to play small ball. While this has brought criticism from many former players, small lineups are utilized by almost every team in the league today. Where the Rockets differ is that their roster doesn’t include a plan B option if small ball isn’t effective. The downside to this approach reared its ugly head as the Lakers made quick work of the Rockets in the second round. However, the Rockets’ all-in strategy to small ball does have one particular upside. The upside for an all-in approach to small ball is a player at the backend of a team’s roster, with little value to them, might be able to morph into a small-ball stud for the Rockets. The ...

In the free agency period of 2019, the Houston Rockets were willing to make all moves necessary to acquire Jimmy Butler, but the All-Star turned them away. While the Houston Rockets mull over what they can possibly do to improve next season, the one that got away is now on his way to the NBA Finals. When Jimmy Butler hit the open market last summer, he was one of the most coveted free agents in the league. While several teams believed they had a chance at the star, the Rockets were one of few teams willing to give him everything he wanted. Despite All-Star seasons in Chicago and Minnesota, Butler never had the proper supporting cast to get far in the playoffs, eventually leading him to the Philadelphia 76ers. In his one season alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, Butler was within a Kawhi Leonard miracle shot of making the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite having success with the Sixers, Butler appeared ready to move on after the last-second heartbreaker. As ESPN reporter and Roc...

Longtime NBA veteran Darius Miles offered advice for Houston Rockets star James Harden, as it pertains to how he can continue to hone his craft. James Harden has been one of the best players in the NBA since his arrival to the Houston Rockets in 2012. Harden has been an MVP finalist on numerous occasions and has led the Rockets to the postseason in each of his eight seasons in the Space City. Harden has pulled off a wide array of feats and accomplishments, as he’s led the league in assists and 3-pointers made. In addition, Harden has averaged at least 30 points in each of the last three seasons. Harden has led the league in scoring between 2017-20, and has thrived in spite of having different running mates. Harden led the league in scoring during Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook’s initial debuts, which is impressive considering how he didn’t have time to adapt and adjust to playing alongside either player in Houston. Harden has added a wrinkle to his game during each offseason, as...

The Rockets have cast a wide net in their coaching search as they look for a replacement for Mike D'Antoni, but it appears as though a pair of candidates are leading the pack as October approaches.  Former Houston guard Sam Cassell has been reported as a top candidate for the Rockets' vacancy. Not only does Cassell have Houston ties, he also enters the 2020 offseason after six years as an assistant with the Clippers. Cassell has been a fixture in the league for nearly three decades. His first head coaching gig should come sooner than later. Another former member of the Rockets' organization is also reportedly under consideration to replace D'Antoni. Current ESPN analyst and ex-Houston head coach Jeff Van Gundy is "in the mix," for the Rockets' vacancy, potentially bringing a far different style than his predecessor, per ESPN's Brian Windhorst. "Keep an eye on former Rocket, a guy who won a championship here, Sam Cassell," Windhorst said o...

Darren Yamashita (USA Today) Shortly after being ousted in the Western Conference semifinals by the Lakers, it was announced that Houston Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni wouldn't be returning next season. While the writing was on the wall throughout the season, considering he and the franchise failed to come to an agreement on an extension in May of 2019, and the constant reports of this season being a championship-or-bust for D'Antoni, it was a little surprising to find out that it wasn't the Rockets who decided he wouldn't be returning, but the coach himself. On Sunday, just a day after losing in Game 5 against the Lakers, D'Antoni informed the team that he wouldn't seek a new contract, and would rather test the open market that, with four possible coaching vacancies (not including the Rockets). A decision this big, would seem like it would take at least a few days to mull over, especially after Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said that re-sign...

Houston Rockets star James Harden was named Saturday as one of the NBA’s three finalists for its 2019-20 MVP award. This is the fourth consecutive year that Harden has been an MVP finalist, which the NBA began doing with the 2016-17 season — when it launched a formal NBA Awards program. The awards are determined by a global media panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. All votes have already been cast based on games played prior to the NBA’s recent restart at Disney World, as a means of being fair to the eight teams who were not invited to participate. Winners will be announced during the 2020 NBA playoffs, which are set to begin on August 17. Various media forecasts have shown Harden finishing third, trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. Now 30 years old, Harden has placed second in MVP voting on three occasions (2014-15, 2016-17, 2018-19) with the Rockets, and he won the award for the 2017-18 season. Harden is leading ...

To say that the awesome pairing of James Harden and Russell Westbrook has been a success for the Houston Rockets would be an understatement. Just recently, this duo just set a new scoring record that dates back since the ABA and the NBA merged in 1976. By combining for an average of 61.7 points per contest, Harden and Westbrook have now become the top-scoring pair in the history of the NBA: James Harden and Russell Westbrook have surpassed Shaq and Kobe as the highest scoring duo in a season since the ABA-NBA merger 🤯 With a combined 61.7 PPG, they could go scoreless in their final four games and still surpass Shaq and Kobe's 57.5 PPG in '02-'03. (h/t @RobKSports) pic.twitter.com/0hxXNFKhU2 — SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 8, 2020 The fact that Harden and Westbrook just surpassed Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers — considered to be one of the greatest pairings of all time — makes this feat even more impressive. They did not only o...

Russell Westbrook History: After Paul George requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers to join Kawhi Leonard in free agency, Westbrook followed suit by requesting a trade of his own. He wanted to join a contender and a familiar face. The Rockets checked off both of those boxes being one year removed from a Conference Finals appearance and rostering James Harden, Westbrook’s teammate from 2009-12 back in OKC, where they made a Finals together. Westbrook was traded July 11, 2019 for Chris Paul, two first-round draft picks and two first-round pick swaps. When the season began, it took Westbrook some time to acclimate towards Mike D’Antoni’s offense and to coexist with Harden. Westbrook attempted more threes in the first half of the season, trying to adjust to the Rockets system despite not efficiently scoring from distance. This season, Westbrook is shooting just above 25% from three. However, I think it would be unfair to use the team at the beginning of the season to determine...

The NBA is taking on an unconventional approach — to say the least — as it makes the necessary moves to restart the coronavirus-hit 2019-20 season. The Florida bubble, for instance, is as unprecedented as it gets, and as it turns out, even players like Austin Rivers of the Houston Rockets continue to struggle to fully grasp the radical changes that need to be implemented just to see out the remainder of the season. In a recent video interview, however, Rivers could not help but look at the silver lining in all this. In his mind, the venue where the games will take place is one he considers to be a personal home-court advantage. “The NBA is going to Disney World,” he said. “I mean, think about how crazy that sentence is. We have all the practice courts being laid down at convention centers and Wide World of Sports. By the way, nobody has played in those places more than me. I don’t know a player in the NBA who has scored more points in The Milk House or the Wide World of Sports...

James Harden is trying to squeeze out what’s left of his mid-season break before the NBA returns next month. The Houston Rockets superstar was seen cruising around the highways of Houston with his favorite toys alongside some of his buddies, including rapper Lil Baby. James Harden out here riding Lamborghinis with Lil Baby. pic.twitter.com/InPFO6Po5a — ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 26, 2020 No biggie. Just the 2018 NBA MVP for the Rockets rolling on Lamborghinis with 2020 Grammy nominated Lil Baby. Harden has been in his home in Houston since the regular season was halted for the Rockets last March as the COVID-19 pandemic hit the US. The star for the Rockets has been making the most out of the break by aiding local relief efforts in Houston and has also been letting off some steam as the lockdown protocols have slowly been eased out. That’s definitely a great way to practice some social distancing. The NBA is set to return within a month’s time and teams will...

Watch Now: Value Pick To Win Western Conference ( 2:36 ) In an extremely weird time, maybe the Houston Rockets are the team of the moment. For years Daryl Morey, their general manager, has talked about raising their "risk profile," and their acquisition of Robert Covington and full-on commitment to smallball has made them more radical than ever. Houston is built to make opponents unable to do what they normally do, with a combination of spacing and switching that a shock to the system even when you know exactly what's coming. Nobody shoots more 3s, and nobody else has a pair of perimeter playmakers like James Harden and Russell Westbrook.  Assuming that the NBA goes through with its plan to restart the 2019-20 season despite the COVID-19 surge in Florida, some wild stuff will probably happen. In a high-variance environment, are the Rockets fringe contenders? What did we learn about them in the 14 games Covington played? Brad Botkin and James Herbert discuss: James ...