HOUSTON — The Rockets finished their preseason with a 3-1 record, and as they prepare to open their season against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at State Farm Arena, head coach Stephen Silas has been very impressed with what his team has done on the offensive end of the court. That especially applies to his backcourt duo of point guard Kevin Porter Jr. and shooting guard Jalen Green.
After an offseason that consisted of vigorous workouts with personal trainers and teammates at the Rockets practice facility, Porter and Green displayed some of the maturity and growth that both players have discussed at length during training camp and the preseason.
Green, an NBA All-Rookie First Team player for the 2021-22 season, finished the preseason as Houston’s scoring leader at 22.0 points per game. Meanwhile, Porter chipped in with 16.7 points.
In the preseason finale at Indiana on Friday, Green’s 33 points and Porter’s 22 points helped the Rockets secure a 122-114 victory.
“It was the ball movement that I liked a lot,” Silas said about the Rockets play against the Pacers. “It wasn’t your turn, my turn. It was here is the help is coming, so I am kicking it to the open guy, which happens to be Jalen or the open guy who happens to be Scoot (Porter). It was the ball movement that I loved.”
“It was the ball movement that I liked a lot,” said Rockets head coach Stephen Silas when I asked him about the offense in Houston’s 122-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers. #LightTheFuse #Sarge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/3T8yPeZCVx
— #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) October 17, 2022
Silas missed two games in the preseason as he was placed in the NBA’s health and safety protocol due to COVID-19 symptoms. While out, he had a chance to witness some of the team’s play, and his two leaders stepped up versus the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
After practice on Sunday, Silas elaborated on how he is watching their games evolve to begin their second season of play together:
For KPJ (Kevin Porter Jr.), the decision-making has been really good. He is not turning it over like he did last year. You see that growth. You can see that him and Jalen have a good connection. It is about playing the game and playing well together, which is super important. His catch-and-shoot game, which was very good last year, continues to be good.
That means he is getting off the ball some and then giving it up and getting it back. For him (Porter), the decision-making and the defensive intensity that he is showing and him getting off the ball some so he could play to his strengths have been good.
For Jalen, the shot-making has been great, and he is taking good on-balance shots. He is making quicker decisions than he made at this point last year. I think he has a better feel for where he can get his shots and when he can.
On the defensive end, he is starting to use his athleticism a little bit more. It is not like steals or blocked shots, but it is being in the right area and sprinting to a closeout. That is a big jump for him. He is thinking more about how he can help his team instead of being hugged up to his guy.
The pairing has worked thanks to a seemingly unselfish approach, and they are helping each other play well on both ends of the floor.
On Wednesday, the backcourt gets its first chance to prove if their offseason work has paid off when they take on another rising duo in Atlanta guards Trae Young and former San Antonio Spurs Dejounte Murray, who the Hawks acquired this offseason via trade. Tipoff for the 2022-23 regular-season opener is set for 6:30 p.m. Central.
