Inside The Rockets

Houston Rockets Minicamp Footage Reveals Some Interesting Details

Houston Rockets practice footage reveals some things to watch going into the season.

Lachard Binkley

Dec 23, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and guard Jalen Green (4) come out the locker room to play against the New Orleans Pelicans before the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) and guard Jalen Green (4) come out the locker room to play against the New Orleans Pelicans before the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
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The long wait for Houston Rockets fans continues, as August and September are usually the slowest months of the offseason. Luckily, we had basketball earlier in the month, though not the Rockets. Olympic basketball, however, does help during the dog days of summer.

Luckily, on Tuesday afternoon, Rocket fans were treated to footage of the earlier reported players' only mini-camp. A few weeks ago, Kelly Iko of the Athletic reported that Jalen Green would be hosting a mini-camp in Los Angeles, and today, we got a small glimpse of what took place on the court.

Courtesy of Swish Culture on X, we saw several Rockets players making plays during the camp. Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith, Cam Whitmore, and Reed Sheppard were a few of the Rockets who showed up in the highlights.

Offseason practices aren't new, and you usually shouldn't take too much from them because players are going at half speed to avoid injuries, but there are small details that sometimes stick out. In the different clips, players like Green, Sengun, and Smith show some of the same skills we saw from them last season.

You can also take from these practices the chemistry built on the court. Even though they are going half-speed, players can better understand where their teammates like to get the ball on the court. This is especially helpful playing with a rookie like Reed Sheppard, who has not been on the court with his Rocket teammates.

Another observation from the released footage is how some players have put on muscle this offseason. Smith Jr. is building his frame to handle playing in the paint against bigger defenders. Coming into the NBA as one of the youngest players ever, it would take Smith Jr. time to build up his strength, and it seems he is on the right track.

One last detail that stood out is Sheppard's shooting. Of course, once the season starts, he won't always have as much room and will face better defenders, but Sheppard's quick release and high basketball IQ are two aspects that will help him succeed against any level of competition.

The NBA regular season is still over two months away, but today's footage did show some interesting details on what to expect this upcoming season.


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Lachard Binkley

LACHARD BINKLEY

Lachard is a lifelong Houstonian who has followed the Rockets since the 80s. He is a credential reporter covering the Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

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