Rockets officially announce preseason schedule! What do the two rookies want most? Curry Pitch + Irving possession
On July 6, Beijing time, the Rockets officially announced the preseason schedule for the 2023-24 season, No. 4 pick Amen Thompson and No. 20 pick Whitmore were interviewed on the radio, talking about the star stunts they most want to add, Curry and Irving appeared in the answer.
According to official Rockets reports, the Rockets have a total of five preseason games scheduled for next season, namely home against the Pacers on October 11 (Beijing time, the same below), the Pelicans on October 13, the Spurs on October 17, the Spurs on October 19 and the Heat on October 21. The two Spurs are bound to be high-profile matches, and they have a chance to face the top champion Wen Banyama.
Of course, the preseason is still far away, and the Rockets will make their first appearance at the Las Vegas Summer League, and their first game is scheduled for July 8 against the Blazers, No. 4 pick Amen Thompson will face Henderson. They will then play the Pistons, Thunder, and Warriors. The Rockets have also previously announced their summer league roster, with Amen Thompson and Whitmore among them, and Ethan and Jabari Smith Jr. also playing in the summer league.
Rockets reporter Fagan said that there are many things to watch in the summer league, the first focus is naturally on the performance of Thompson and Whitmore, but also on the progress of Ethan and Jabari Smith Jr., and the two two-way players (Deith and Huggins) will also be the target. Jaylen Green, who did not play in the Summer League, has started training with new teammate Van Jordan.
Rocket journalist Bradeaux reported that Amen Thompson and Whitmore appeared on the radio show. When it comes to which player in the league he most wants to get a stunt, Amen Thompson's answer is Curry's projection, while Whitmore's answer is Irving's possession. Clearly, Thompson wants to improve his long-range shooting ability, and he shot just 25 percent from three-point range last season; Whitmore wants to get closer to Irving's ball possession, after all, Irving's ball handling is the pinnacle of existence in the league.
Fagan also reported that the Rockets currently have three open spots on their regular roster, and they could theoretically sign another player on a two-way contract because the new collective bargaining agreement allows for three two-way contracts.
Center Huff is a player to watch, and last season, he averaged 15 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in the Development League, ranking first in the Development League in blocks.