Three Things to Watch for as the Rockets Host the Hornets

Here are three areas to watch out for in tonight's Rockets season opener.

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) handles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets open their 2024-25 regular season Wednesday night as they host the Charlotte Hornets at the Toyota Center. The Rockets are coming off a league-best 19-win improvement last season and a 3-1 preseason.

The Hornets are coming off another subpar season, finishing with a 21-61 record. That makes two straight seasons where they failed to win more than 30 games. One reason for the bad record last season was injuries. Lamelo Ball missed most of last season with an ankle injury but is healthy for the season opener.

The Hornets will be without their starting center, Mark Willams, who also missed most of last season and will start on the injury list this season. The Hornets were led last season by their outstanding rookie, Brandon Miller, who was the No. 2 overall pick.

The Rockets come into Wednesday night's game a 7.5-point favorite and defeated the Hornets in both contests last season. Here are three things to pay attention to in Wednesday night matchup.

Alperen Sengun vs the Hornets Backups

Alperen Sengun, the Rockets $185 million up-and-coming start center, is looking to build off his breakout third season. Sengun was one of the most double teamed players in the league last season and that will be the case again this season.

As mentioned earlier, Williams is out of the lineup tonight for the Hornets. Since entering the league, Williams has posed challenges for the Rockets with his athleticism and ability to score above the rim off pick-and-roll plays. Without Williams in the lineup, Sengun will face Nick Richards to start the game and may also go up against veteran NBA player Taj Gibson.

Richards is a 7'0" center in his fourth year, known for his shot-blocking abilities but lacks an effective offensive game. He excels in transition but struggles to guard Sengun one-on-one. Expect Sengun to dominate in the post unless the Hornets frequently employ a double team.

Sengun is a willing passer, so his teammates could have big games beyond the arc if they can capitalize on their open three-point shots. Additionally, expect Sengun to frequently get to the free-throw line, and if he continues to improve his free-throw shooting, he could have a standout performance.

Dillon Brooks vs. Brandon Miller

One thing that you can count on season after season is the fact that Dillon Brooks is going to play his game rather people like it or not. Brooks game on defense is to get into his opponents head and take them out of their game.

Tonight Brooks is matchup with Miller who would have won rookie of the year if it wasn't for a certain player named Victor Wembanyama. Last season in two matchups Miller averaged only 7.5 points a game and shot 35.3 percent from the field.

Even though the Hornets will have Ball back to start this season, Miller may be the key to shutting down the Hornets offense. Brooks and the Rockets had success against Miller in his rookie season and another good defensive performance could lead to a easy Rockets win.

Rockets 3-point Shooting

As mentioned earlier the Rockets should see plenty of open 3-pointers vs the Hornets. The Hornets will deploy plenty of double teams to try and slow down Sengun but will also have to contend with Jalen Green getting to the basket as well.

Last season the Rockets shot 48.6 percent from 3-point range in their two wins against the Hornets. That was their best percentage from beyond arc against any team last season. If that continues in the season opener the Rockets should be able to start the season 1-0.

Conclusion

The Rockets have high expectations going into the 2024-25 season. They are looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and a fast start to the season would go a long way in helping them get there.

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