Oct 7, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) dunks the ball over Utah Jazz forward John Collins (20) during the second quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Key Takeaways From the Rockets First Preseason Game

Originally posted on Houston Rockets on SI
By Ryan Diamond | Last updated Oct 8, 2024 3:03 PM ET

Houston played their first pre-season game last night.

It is only pre-season, so players are unlikely to come out and try their hardest out the gate until the season starts. However, the team started out really slow, with the score at the end of the first frame being 22-12. Once they got hot, they started shooting really well. On the defensive side of the ball, the Rockets looked solid most of the game, until the fourth quarter when most of the key rotation players were out.

Alperen Sengun played well, as he seemed a bit faster and much stronger. In the first quarter, he attempted a step-back fade in the post. His shot looks much better and he looks a lot more comfortable shooting. Sengun also made a catch-and-shoot three. The biggest takeaway from him is that his footwork looks much faster, and he also looks a lot more comfortable shooting the ball from three.

Alpi with the shot pic.twitter.com/ngmHto8O2v
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 8, 2024

Alpi catching and drilling the triple pic.twitter.com/rbPJnccGrI
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) October 8, 2024

Cam Whitmore, Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson looked sharp on defense throughout the game, combining for six steals. Sheppard tied with Jae'Sean for the most blocks on the Rockets with two. Whitmore came off the bench, and immediately started playing really well on defense. Last season, he was a very offensively focused player, but his defense looks like it has improved quite a bit. Not only did the team's defense look good, their top two defensive players, Tari Eason and Dillon Brooks, did not play.

Jalen Green caught fire in the second quarter, and he scored 21 points in the game on 50% shooting and 4/9 from three. Green looked very comfortable on the court last night, as he led all players in scoring. If he can do this in the regular season consistently, the Rockets will be a problem for teams to face.

The biggest takeaway is how aggressive the team looked. Whitmore and Thompson shined on offense and defense being super aggresive whether it was driving to the hoop and dunking or attacking players on defense and forcing a turnover. Green looked great on offense and had no problem getting to the rim. The rookie, Sheppard, looked crisp on defense as a 6-foot-3 guard. This team has one of the most fun rosters in the league to watch.

This article first appeared on Houston Rockets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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