Rockets 'Dress Rehearsal' Showed Their Potential

In a blowout win against the Spurs, Ime Udoka showed what minutes could look like for Rockets players this season. This game showed how good the Rockets can be.

Oct 17, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) dunks against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) in the third quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Dillon Brooks called the game against San Antonio a 'Dress Rehearsal' for the Rockets. Coach Ime Udoka put in several different lineups to see what would work best for this season.

Due to Houston's depth, minutes have been a rising concern due to their young talent and accomplished veterans.

Reed Sheppard, said to be Fred VanVleet's direct backup this season, has looked like the best rookie in the league during preseason. His best game was against the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he scored 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and collected four assists.

However, this is not what stood out.

His feel for the game, especially for a rookie, caught everyone's attention. From incredible passes through defenders to reading the floor on defense and having four steals as well as 12 rebounds total in the preseason at only 6-foot-3, he showed why he deserves to be VanVleet's direct backup point guard.

He received 20 minutes of playing time in 'dress rehearsal' and played the most minutes off of the bench, aside from Thompson.

The rising sophomore, Thompson, was electric in his 20 minutes of play off the bench against San Antonio. He has 18 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the floor. His shooting looks to have improved over the offseason, looking more comfortable and hesitating less taking shots from midrange and beyond the arc. Udoka looks to go into the season playing Thompson at the 4 spot, being in that dunker role under the rim.

As aggressive as he is driving to the hoop for an easy dunk or layup, and how easy he makes it look, his defense was phenomal in the preseason. The former Overtime Elite guard had four steals and three blocks in the preseason, making it look like reading opposing teams' offenses is first nature to him.

In the two games that Tari Eason played in the preseason, he played the most minutes against the Spurs with 15. Although he only had one steal combined in those games, he helped force multiple turnovers. His IQ looks to have gotten a lot better during his time recovering from injury, as he made every right read and found every open player against San Antonio. He also did a great job on the boards, grabbing five per game game.

Jalen Green also shined in the preseason. Although it is not the regular season, he stayed consistent in the preseason on good efficiency, which is exactly what Houston needs from him. His confidence skyrocketed as well, taking complicated shots from deep, or attacking the rim with ease. It seems as if he showed that he realizes his speed kills, blowing by defenders effortlessly, and getting to the basket really well. His handles looked like they have tightened, causing defenders to get lost on his crossovers. Green averaged 20.5 points on 43.9 percent shooting and 43.2 percent from three in almost 24 minutes per game. This is exactly what Houston needs from him this season in order to win.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.