The Rockets grew quickly in the backcourt and planned to get off to a good start by beating the Hawks on the road.
The Houston Rockets finished the preseason with a 3-1 record as they prepared to take on the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday at State Farm Stadium, and head coach Stephen Sellars was impressed with his team's performance on the offensive end. The play of the Rockets' backcourt point guard Kevin Porter and shooting guard Jaylen Green will directly affect the win or loss of the game.
After intense training sessions with personal trainers and teammates at the Rockets' training ground, Porter and Green showed more mature skills, and through the baptism of offseason, both players are getting better and better in all aspects.
Green was an NBA rookie first-team player from 2021 to 2022 and became the Houston Rockets' scoring leader in the preseason with 22.0 points per game. Porter, meanwhile, averaged 16.7 points per game.
In the preseason final against the Indiana Pacers, Green's 33 points and Porter's 22 helped the Rockets to a 122-114 victory. Head coach Silas was very happy with their performance.
Sellars missed two games in the preseason due to coronavirus because he was listed as violating NBA health and safety protocols. During his absence, he had the opportunity to watch some of the team's games, with Green progressing with Porter against the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat.
After training on Monday, Silas detailed how he watched them grow, Kevin Porter Jr. didn't turn over like he did last year, he has a good relationship with Green, he's learned to give up some of the ball, his decision-making ability and defensive intensity are good, and he's able to play to his strengths in the game.
For Jaylen Green, his shooting skills are good and he does a good job of balancing his shots. He's better than he was last year, and he has a better sense of where and when he can shoot.
Defensively, Green is starting to use his athleticism more to steal or block, but that requires sprinting in the right areas. It's a big jump for him and he's thinking about how he can help his teammates better engage in the attack.
Green and Porter's seemingly unselfish style of play has helped the duo succeed on the court, helping each other play well on both ends of the court.
On Wednesday, the Rockets' backcourt duo had their first chance to prove whether their offseason efforts paid off as they face Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young and former San Antonio Spurs Djoente Murray, the latter the Hawks acquired through a trade.
The 2022-23 regular season opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Do you think the Rockets can beat the Hawks in an upset?
