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The Houston Rockets had their best season in five years in 2024-25, winning 52 games, finishing second in the Western Conference, and making their first playoff appearance since 2020. The Rockets were able to accomplish this by having one of the best defenses in the NBA and their best rebounding season in the last 50-plus seasons.
The Rockets improved by 11 games this season after improving by a league-best 19 wins in 2023-24. The Rockets realized from day one that they would have to rely on rebounding and defense to compensate for their occasional lack of offense. The Rockets' struggles on offense ultimately caused their downfall in the playoffs, as they had several games where they just couldn't put the ball in the basket.
Even though the Rockets improved their 3-point shooting in the second half of the season, they were still overall a middle-of-the-pack offense most of the season and bottom 10 in 3-point shooting. Some of the Rockets' woes can be attributed to their personnel. The Rockets aren't a team full of players who can get their own shots or are knockdown 3-point shooters.
Some, however, can be attributed to the offense the Rockets implement each game. The Rockets are a heavy pick-and-roll team and depend a lot on Alperen Sengun's playmaking from the post. Sengun had a great season, and running the offense through him usually results in a good shot, but the Rockets could benefit from diversifying their offense as well.
The Rockets were not a team that ran many offscreen plays for their shooters, such as Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or Jabari Smith. The Rockets ranked 27th in offscreen field goal attempts, which means they didn't have as much player movement as they should have during the regular season.
Players like Green and Amen Thompson thrive when they are on the move and not in a stagnant offense. The Rockets were better when it came to cutting to the basket, as they ranked 11th in field goal attempts and 15th in points per game from cutting to the basket. However, with a player like Sengun, who draws double teams every game and is one of the better passing big men in the league, they should be higher in both categories.
The Rockets know they can win a significant number of games in the regular season by outrebounding teams and clamping down on defense, but to become championship contenders next season, they will need to add more variety to their offense.
More must-reads:
- Steve Kerr 'very concerned' about worrisome trend plaguing NBA
- Youth movement: Five new players who should be part of Team USA basketball's future
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Youth movement: Five new players who should be part of Team USA basketball's future
A veteran-heavy USA Basketball squad took home a gold medal last summer in Paris. But their two biggest stars won't be returning. LeBron James and Steph Curry made it clear on the newest episode of "Mind The Game," James' podcast, that they wouldn't be part of Team USA in 2028. That leaves two big pairs of shoes to fill. In addition, the oft-injured Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis are unlikely to be back, Kevin Durant will be 39 in the summer of 2028, Jrue Holiday will be 38 and the national team will get younger. Here are five new players who should be part of Team USA going forward. 1. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets There's always a spot on Team USA for a hard-nosed perimeter defender, and Amen Thompson is one of the toughest defenders in the NBA. He finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season and has upped his assists to 5.2 per game, making him the ideal player to slide into Holiday's stopper/ball handler role. Plus, Thompson is still only 22, which means he has plenty of international basketball ahead of him. And if Team USA needs another elite defender, he's got a connection with one on the Detroit Pistons — his brother Ausar Thompson. The only danger is if the Thompson twins decide to play for Jamaica instead. 2. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons Cade Cunningham, 24, has experience with USA Basketball, winning a gold medal in 2019 at the FIBA U19 championships and leading the USA Select team to scrimmage upsets against the 2023 FIBA Cup team. He only turned down joining the main team because he was recovering from shin surgery. Now he's firmly established as an NBA star, averaging 27.5 points and 9.9 assists for the first-place Detroit Pistons. Not only is he scoring an distributing the ball at an elite level, Cunningham has excellent size at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds for the more physical international game. 3. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder Team USA needs a rim protector, and they'd love to have one who can stretch the floor like Chet Holmgren. The 23-year-old is shooting 40.4 percent from three-point range this season and 59.1 percent overall while anchoring the NBA's No. 1 defense. Holmgren may not be best suited to banging with some of the huge big men he'd face in the Olympics, like Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun, but the threat of his shooting can draw these big men out of the paint and create driving lanes. Plus, he has three years to bulk up before the Los Angeles Olympics. 4. Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers The reigning Defensive Player of the Year has turned into a legitimate three-point threat this season, sinking 1.7 threes per game, while remaining one of the NBA's best defenders. While Holmgren is more of a shot-blocker and rim protector, Evan Mobley, 24, has the speed and mobility to guard smaller players out on the perimeter, and the height and wingspan to bother big men. In addition, Mobley attended college at USC and high school in famed fight capital Temecula, so he'll be an excellent local choice. 5. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder Jalen Williams, 24, is a bulldog defender who showed he can also be an elite big-game scorer during the Thunder's run to the title. Team USA plays best when they can pressure opposing teams defensively, and Williams has been great with that approach for OKC. Honorable mentions Cooper Flagg (18), Dallas Mavericks Stephon Castle (21) and Dylan Harper (19), San Antonio Spurs Kon Knueppel (20), Charlotte Hornets Darryn Peterson (18), Kansas Jayhawks
Jerry Jones made bold claim about George Pickens after Cowboys’ ‘MNF’ win
Jerry Jones sounded like the conductor of the George Pickens hype train after the Dallas Cowboys’ Monday night win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Pickens caught nine passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in the Cowboys’ 33-16 win at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. The numbers don’t do justice to some of the masterful moves Pickens executed in the primetime victory. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1990609821054509411 Pickens had himself quite a night, especially considering he and CeeDee Lamb were benched on the Cowboys’ opening drive. Nobody was more impressed than Jones. After the game, the Cowboys owner claimed he had “never seen” a performance like the one Pickens put on during Week 11’s “Monday Night Football” clash. “Pickens was — I’ve never seen a performance like that. It was poetic the way that he was making those moves out there. It was like he was in an opera or something out there. A ballet,” Jones said, via Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. Jones’ claim is certainly a bold one, given that he’s watched the likes of Michael Irvin, Deion Sanders, Dez Bryant, Terrell Owens, and even Lamb catch passes for Dallas over the years. There’s definitely some recency bias at play, on top of Jones’ incentive to hype up one of the Cowboys’ key offseason acquisitions. The look on Jones’ face after watching Quinnen Williams get his first sack as a Cowboy said it all. Bold claims aside, Pickens has indeed been dominant in his first season in Dallas. Through 10 games, the Georgia alum leads the team in receiving yards (908), receiving touchdowns (7), and ranks second on the team in catches (58).
Jimmy Butler's In-Game Message to Buddy Hield Catches Attention
Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler became the center of attention on Tuesday night after a brief exchange with teammate Buddy Hield during their game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. The moment happened in the final seconds of the first quarter when Butler attempted to pass to Hield as he cut toward the basket. Hield did not secure the pass, and the ball was stolen by Desmond Bane, who scored a layup on the other end. During a play pause, Butler looked at Hield and said, “I’m never passing you the ball again.” “Don’t be like that,” Hield answered. The interaction was recorded and later posted by the Warriors on NBCS on X, causing the clip to spread quickly on social media. The short exchange drew reactions from fans who viewed the video. One commented that Butler “might be serious lol.” “Jimmy doesn’t play. He means business,” a commenter noticed. A viewer pointed out how quick the two teammates were to challenge each other, saying they seemed “ruthless to each other even on the court.” "Why did he lowkey look serious that time," asked another. “Lmao cmon Jimmy that was a high pass,” one argued. “I love this team lmfaoooo,” another fan simply stated after seeing the interaction. Warriors Bench Produces Only 22 Points in 121–113 Loss While the Butler–Hield clip gained attention, the Warriors faced larger issues during the game. Golden State lost to Orlando, 121–113, marking the end of their attempt to extend a three-game winning streak. One of the main concerns was bench production. The Magic’s reserves scored 35 points, including 21 from Anthony Black, while the Warriors’ bench totaled 22 points on 8-of-23 shooting. Buddy Hield, one of Golden State’s most relied-upon bench scorers, finished with two points in 15 minutes and recorded a minus-5 in plus-minus. Hield has struggled to find a consistent rhythm during the early part of the 2025-26 season. Since scoring 17 points on opening night, he has shot 40.8 percent from the field and 28.3 percent from three. He has reached double-figure scoring only three times this season. Steph Curry led the Warriors with 34 points, including 5-of-7 shooting from three. Butler added 33 points, four rebounds and three assists. Draymond Green provided 12 points, six rebounds, six assists and two blocks. The Warriors committed 18 turnovers, with their three veteran starters responsible for 11 of them. Butler and Hield Have Ongoing Friendly Back-and-Forth Butler’s message to Hield was consistent with the friendly exchanges the pair have shown publicly since Butler arrived in Golden State in a midseason trade in February. Both players regularly joke with each other during games and interviews. Their interactions have been compared to a “buddy-cop” style partnership, and video moments like Tuesday’s have continued that pattern. In this instance, the comment came directly after a costly turnover, but there was no additional confrontation between the two players. They continued playing normally for the remainder of the game.
Fantasy Football Week 12 Defense Rankings: Which DST Should You Start?
Fantasy D/ST rankings this week come with some curveballs … a few of your go-to units are banged up or on the bench. The Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders all hit their Week 12 bye, pulling several fantasy defenses off the board. Lean into healthier, high-pressure units and don’t be afraid to stream a defense if the waiver wire gives you a clearer path to sacks and turnovers. Week 12 Fantasy Defense Rankings Green: Player moved up in the latest rankings update. Red: Player moved down in the latest rankings update. Fantasy Football Defense Scoring Format 2 points per sack 3 points per takeaway 3 points per safety 6 points per defensive/special teams TD More Fantasy Football Week 12 Positional Rankings Fantasy Quarterback Rankings Fantasy Running Back PPR Rankings Fantasy Wide Receiver PPR Rankings Fantasy Tight End PPR Rankings Fantasy Place Kicker Rankings Fantasy Defense Rankings Veteran fantasy football expert Cory Bonini will publish and update free fantasy football PPR rankings with tiers throughout the season. He also has your back for working the waiver wire, playing the right sleepers, avoiding lineup-killing busts, navigating injuries, cashing prop bets, and more!
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