Rockets

What We Learned Houston Rockets Edition: Games 18-20

What We Learned Houston Rockets Edition: Games 18-20 as the Houston Rockets have FINALLY won a game on the road!

Josh Garcia

Published

December 13, 2023

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the team's media day in Houston on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021.

THE HOUSTON ROCKETS HAVE WON A ROAD GAME. WE ARE SO BACK.

Words can’t describe the ups and downs of this Rockets season so far, and if it keeps being 3-6 wins here, 3 losses there, then so be it. I am having so much fun. What We Learned Houston Rockets Edition: Games 18-20.

Pretty much every game since Wednesday has been a bloodbath of strange basketball. The Rockets and Spurs both shot 34 and 35% respectively last night in an absolute nightmare at the Toyota Center. The only thing I can think worse would be if both of these teams were on 15+ game losing streaks and there was nothing to play for this early in the season like how we’ve seen before.

Streaks have been the story of this young Rockets season far, whether it be wins, losses, Jalen Green, and anything in between.

JALEN ROMANDE GREEN

If you care about your fans mental health you will never start a game off with these four shots.

I'm not even talking about the misses. This shot selection is great to start a game. Don't want to hurt ourselves. Deep twos, free throw floaters and off the… pic.twitter.com/IcHspWUdEY
— Julieanne Gilchrist (@JulieanneGilch1) December 12, 2023

I don’t like this. Even when Jalen is having “good” games, it’s still sub 50% from the floor and while the flashes are great to see, year three shouldn’t be full of, “oh look what he has the capability to do!” We are well past that.

But, we continue to win, which seems to be the saving grace for a lot of the potential league wide slander he could be receiving. Locally on #RocketsTwitter, of course people are on notice, but as long as the Rockets keep winning, this might go under the radar all season.

This does beg the question: Is it time to move on from Jalen Green?

I know we all overreact, but seriously consider how high his stock/upside is. Is this a move you would make by the deadline, or wait it out?

I can’t tell yet. I want things to work out because at one point, for a long point, he was the center of our rebuild until Alperen Sengun came along.

Seen enough Sengun > Chet, if you don’t know now you know #Rockets pic.twitter.com/ssUIHpLr9J
— Harley Dugan (@TheLead_HOU) December 7, 2023

Al-P and the team holding Jokic and Chet to off-nights and taking the W’s? Oh yeah, love this shit.

This schedule to end the 2023 stretch of the season is still not even close to forgiving. The Rockets have a much needed home-and-home against Memphis, then it is all playoff teams until January 1st.

Damn. 11-9 in this tough of a stretch has been insane to watch, but they’ve held their own.

I can’t wait to see how this team responds after these Grizzlies games this week.

Back at it tomorrow at home on NBA Paint night. Shirt goes absolutely crazy.