Silas

The 2022-23 season isn't exactly going as planned for the Houston Rockets . Stephen Silas's squad approached the year viewed by many as a scrappy unit worth watching, one who could at best challenge for a play-in spot while at the very least earning a spot as a League Pass darling. The latter scenario hasn't even come to fruition thus far. The Rockets enter Friday night with an NBA-worst 10–31 record . They rank last in offensive rating. No team sports a lower assist percentage, and curiously, the NBA's second-youngest teams sits No. 28 in transition scoring. The Rockets aren't just a rebuilding team. They're sadly one of the league's uglier watches on a given night. Let's not be too dour with a half season remaining on the 2022-23 schedule. The Rockets do show flashes of promise amid the extended stretches of poor play, and there are multiple individual pieces with All-Star potential. Growing that talent into a cohesive group is now the challenge. So how should we … [Read more...] about Houston Rockets report card: Grading Stephen Silas’s squad at midseason

Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall took a number of notable shots at his former organization in an interview on Tuesday, accusing the Houston Rockets of purposefully tanking amid an slew of grievances. Wall noted his displeasure with Houston's depleted roster in 2020-21, his first year with the team. The Rockets traded James Harden to Brooklyn in January 2021, and following the Harden trade, Houston quickly sunk to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Wall didn't mince words when discussing the Rockets' slide. "My first year in Houston, we were tanking," Wall said. "We lost 20 in a row. We were trying to lose on purpose—tanking." Twitter — TheHoopCentral Twitter Rockets coach Stephen Silas addressed Wall's comments Wednesday during an appearance on The Matt Thomas Show on 790 AM in Houston. Silas disputed Wall's view of the franchise, adding he has the "same expectations" of the young Rockets as he did every other team during his two-decade run as … [Read more...] about Rockets’ Stephen Silas pushes back on John Wall’s tanking accusations

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 9 LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James had a season-high 48 points, nine assists and eight rebounds in his third 40-point performance since turning 38 less than three weeks ago, and the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game skid with a 140-132 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday night. Russell Westbrook scored 24 for the Lakers, who never pulled away in another poor defensive game, but also set a franchise record by committing just two turnovers. James' brilliance in the 100th 40-point outing of his career — including the postseason — was just enough to hold off Houston. He scored 20 points in the fourth quarter, going 9 for 9 at the free throw line. James scored his 38,000th career point Sunday night in a one-point loss to Philadelphia, and he showed no ill effects while playing in back-to-back games despite the sore left ankle that has … [Read more...] about LeBron drops 48, Lakers beat Rockets 140-132 to snap skid

The Houston Rockets aren't exactly the darlings of the NBA at the moment as they limp to Wednesday night's game vs. Charlotte riding an 11-game losing streak. And on Tuesday, one former Houston player levied some some serious criticism at the current state of the franchise. Current Los Angeles Clippers guard John Wall didn't hold back when discussing his time in Houston when appearing on the Run Your Race podcast . Wall, a five-time All-Star, arrived in Houston in early December of 2020, and he said Tuesday he joined the Rockets assuming the franchise was ready to make another playoff run with Wall flanking James Harden. Such plans didn't exactly come to fruition. Harden skipped Rockets' training camp as he demanded a trade, and he was off the roster less than two month's later. "I'm going there thinking James is gonna be there, but he already wants out," Wall said. "When I landed, I'm like, 'What's up? I'm about to land.' He's like, 'Well I’m on my way to Atlanta to go to Lil … [Read more...] about John Wall blasts Rockets’ team culture, levies tanking allegation

Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas said Friday he doesn’t expect point guard Kevin Porter Jr. or forward Jabari Smith Jr. to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night due to a pair of injuries. Porter is slated to miss his fifth straight game due to a left foot injury, which occurred in a loss to the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 11. He was not at Houston’s facility Friday as he received further treatment on his foot, per Silas. Smith was at the Toyota Center on Friday, though he is still likely out of the lineup for Saturday’s contest due to an ankle sprain. Smith hurt his ankle in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesdsay. The pair of notable absences come as Houston looks to end a 12-game losing streak, the worst mark of any team this season. Silas' squad is just 1–16 across the last 17 games, and the Rockets haven't won a game at the Toyota Center in over a month. Houston entered the 2022-23 season looking to take a step forward with a … [Read more...] about Key Rockets players expected to miss Timberwolves game due to injury

The Houston Rockets are committing the usual slate of errors for the NBA's second-youngest team amid their 12-game losing streak , though one rising issue in particular is a source of frustration for coach Stephen Silas. Houston enters Friday night allowing an NBA-worst 26.5 transition points per game, with recent nights laying bare the stream of free points allowed by the Rockets on a given day. The issues with the Rockets' transition defense are manifold. Houston's lack of communication as opponents spread to the perimeter is startling, with a number of wide-open threes and subsequent shrugs not uncommon at the Toyota Center. And while some of the transition struggles are endemic to a young team, Houston's effort issues are more concerning. The Rockets are too often content to loaf off of misses, allowing even the most plodding teams to run the ball down their backs. The clip below from late 2022 isn't indicative of a team totally bought in and engaged. Twitter — … [Read more...] about Houston Rockets’ transition defense at heart of troubling losing streak

In early January, as the Houston Rockets looked to snap what would become a 13-game losing streak , a sleepy morning shootaround saw a jolt in intensity as assistant coach John Lucas barked out orders during a 3-on-3 drill. Lucas implored Houston's backup bigs to bring more energy as screeners, though largely, his ire was directed at young guards Josh Christopher and TyTy Washington. Lazy entry passes drew Lucas' patented hoarse yell, and breaks between possessions were few and far between. For a pair of players often absent from the Rockets' in-game rotation, these practice reps take on increased importance. "They're not always on the floor, so that's a situation where we can get them in competitive situations," Lucas told Chron.com. "With limited time, we're still working to get them ready for when they're called [upon]." The Rockets are engaging in a bit of a delicate dance as they trudge through Year 3 of their rebuild. General manager Rafael Stone took the prudent … [Read more...] about How young Houston Rockets guards are navigating uncertain playing time

Houston Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. provided an update on his injured toe following Tuesday’s practice at the Toyota Center. Porter, 22, has missed each of Houston’s last nine games. He injured the big toe on his left foot in the loss to the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 11, exiting the contest in the first quarter. Porter said Tuesday he doesn’t have a timetable for his return, noting he is handling his rehab on a “day-by-day” basis. “For any injury I suffer, my body is usually good at bouncing back,” Porter said Tuesday. “I thought I was going to be back faster than this." Twitter — mshap2 Twitter Porter said Tuesday he is not participating in practices nor drills at the moment. Rockets head coach Stephen Silas noted Porter met with doctors Tuesday morning, and they will continue to "wait and see" for when Porter will be able to return. The absence of Houston's point guard was followed by a rash of injuries in the lineup in recent games. The Rockets were … [Read more...] about Houston Rockets’ Kevin Porter Jr. details injury, timeline for return

The Houston Rockets are the NBA 's second-youngest squad behind only Oklahoma City, and a crew of the team's youngsters will be on hand at All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City next month. Three Rockets were named to the NBA Rising Stars roster Tuesday afternoon, with former top-three picks Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. flanked by second-year sensation Alperen Şengün . The Rising Stars game has been a frequent showcase for Houston in recent years, with Şengün, Green and Jae'Sean Tate appearing in last year's contest in Cleveland. Şengün and Tate played on the winning team last year, as then-Pistons rookie Cade Cunningham helped them take home the crown. There is also one non-Rockets player who Houston fans will keep a keen eye on in the 2023 edition of the Rising Stars game. G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson is one of seven G League players in the Rising Stars pool for the Feb. 17 contest, and he is near-universally projected to be the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NBA … [Read more...] about Houston Rockets well-represented on Rising Stars roster