The Rockets are showing patience and a commitment to third-year player Kevin Porter Jr., Rahat Huq of the Houston Chronicle writes. Although it was an expected move, Houston recently exercised Porter’s fourth-year option for the 2022/23 season, further cementing the team’s commitment to the guard.
The Rockets, whose young nucleus consists of Porter, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun, among others, has opened the season with just a 1-8 record. For his part, Porter has averaged 12.4 points and five assists through nine contests, shooting only 37% from the floor.
Porter’s best performance last season was a 50-point, 11-assist outing against the NBA champion Bucks, which showed his potential as a scorer. The 21-year-old has dealt with some off-the-court issues in the past, however, including a 2020 weapons charge and a well-documented locker-room outburst with the Cavaliers.
There’s more from the Southwest Division tonight:
- The Pelicans are listing star forward Brandon Ingram (right hip contusion) as questionable for Monday’s contest against Dallas, the team relayed. Ingram has missed four straight games due to the injury. New Orleans is also listing Herb Jones (ankle soreness) as questionable.
- Spurs guard Devin Vassell is on a “good track” to start the season, head coach Gregg Popovich said, as relayed by Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Vassell is averaging 11.9 points on 46% shooting and is showing an increased level of confidence to start the season. San Antonio drafted him with the No. 11 pick in 2020.
- Rockets second-year player Kenyon Martin Jr. is continuing to earn playing time with the team, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. Martin, 20, is part of the club’s young core. He was traded to Houston on the night of the 2020 draft after being selected No. 52 overall by Sacramento.
The Rockets terrible free throw shooting, coupled with their excessive number of turnovers, has been the primary reason the team is 1-9 right now. If they can improve in those two areas as the defense continues to get better the more they come together as a team, things will turn around for them a lot quicker than people expect.
Turnovers are going to be their main weakness for some time until their younger players get more experience and learn to take better care of the ball.
I think they will definitely improve over time, and I think with Green and Wood especially, their future will be really bright. However, in terms of wins and losses, it’ll be up to guys like Porter Jr., Sengun, and Martin Jr. to also step up and assist Houston’s top two..
Yeah OK ……. Best to get another top pick. So please stop with the rhetoric.
I know you’re one of the biggest homers here, and I can assure you the Rockets are much closer to being serious contenders than your Knicks. Of course NY will have far more success in the short-run making the playoffs in the east followed by an early exit. But the Knicks don’t have a future superstar on their team like Jalen Green. Nor the myriad of young talent surrounding him like Kevin Porter, Christian Wood, Jae’Sean Tate, KJ Martin, and Alperen Sengun. Plus possibly Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba as well.
You have a link to 70s Kevin Porter in that article.
The legendary one
Rockets fans hyped up this KPJ guy as a favorite for MIP player this year))) I didn’t get that hype then, don’t get it now
Silas is ghost coaching this team, they have great potentials and should have oneor 2 more win (vs Denver…)
I watched a couple of Rockets gms this yr. And to me Porter is not a true PG. He’s more a combo guard and looks for his shot first most times. Wall should be starting and schooling him. He’s a true scoring PG. With Green as a true legit SG and future star. I would want a real PG next to him. With a young rebuilding team. I would want a real PG. Porter could still be a solid third guard. Still can get 30 mins. I’d want a pass first and run the offense firs PG. That would make Rockets better and help all the young talent grow together. Porter is not a true PG to me. I’d be looking for one or looking to draft one. Kings have three of them. I’d use Wood to get one and Bagley. Cause they will just give you Bagley.
Play John Wall is their best option but it looks like Rockets FO is maximising their chance to be a top bottom 4 till next year by overplaying KPJ and JG .. Silas making the 2 ultra ball dominant borderline selfish playmakers is clearly not improving the team as a whole …
The Rockets’ FO has no interest in winning this year, just like they didn’t last year after the Harden trade. That’s not a unique position among teams with a depleted talent base.
What should bother Rockets’ fans more is that their FO also doesn’t appear to have any idea how to develop the young talent they currently have, or they’ve completely subordinated any player development to tanking. You don’t pair two clueless kids in the backcourt and believe it’s good for either’s development. Particularly when neither is a natural facilitator. Playing Wall wouldn’t create any wins that hurt draft position (didn’t last year), and he’d at least provide an NBA framework for Green’s development. A shooter on the opposite wing would help too, as spacing is always nice. If they like KPJ too, then find a place for him off the bench, likewise in positions that might permit him to be successful. It’s still about coaching guys, even if it’s for development vs wins.
You hit everything on the mail here.
Nail*
Agree
Ding ding correctamundo. Stone will tank and buy himself another year “to wait and see how things play out later in the decade” moron. Feel bad for the young talent stuck down there…smh