Jackson Gatlin here, the host of the daily Locked On Rockets podcast, with your daily Locked On Rockets newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Rockets and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Home and Away
Replay The Houston Rockets lost to the undermanned Golden State Warriors 99-93. Despite the absence of key Warriors players, the Rockets couldn’t capitalize. Alperen Sengun led with 21 points. (The Dream Shake)
Analysis Houston Rockets’ rookie Amen Thompson is making waves as one of the best young players in the league. Discover what sets him apart in this detailed analysis. Learn more about Thompson. (Sports Illustrated)
Biz The NBA will return to China in 2025; The first time since team executive Daryl Morey’s 2019 tweet signalled support for Hong Kong independence. (ESPN)
Feel Good Four Raptors rookies make history by playing in two games in one day. (SportsNet)
League at Large
The limits of late accountability
Dec 1, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick calls a play against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Delta Center. | Christopher Creveling/Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
If JJ Redick had approached the season signalling a measure of outward self-awareness that he, a former player with no head coaching experience and cohost of a podcast with LeBron James, was now head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, things might be different. If Redick had acknowledged that very obvious, and unique to our contemporary basketball moment of athlete-driven media elephant in the room, things might be different. If Redick had at any point, when asked about his new role in scrums wherein he knows the clips and audio of his answers will be immediately and robustly aggregated, balanced out his self-aggrandizing basketball sicko-hood, or answers where he likened head coaching to nothing short of personal destiny, with something like, It’s a learning curve, really anything a hair more measured, things might be different.
Things would not look different. The Lakers made no real structural changes to their roster in the offseason, so the team playing bad basketball now is the same team that was playing bad basketball last season under Darvin Ham (Redick is one game off the 13-9 pace set by Ham last season), but things might be interpreted, or reasoned with, differently. That kind of grace, for a struggling franchise with major conflicting timelines and high-stakes notions like legacy on the line, goes a long way.
There is such a fine line in coaching between collaborative and domineering, confident and arrogant, and many first-time head NBA coaches have learned the hard way what it is to lose a team, and lose them quickly. Nate Bjorkgren went into the Pacers organization not just hot but by many accounts scorching, and was expeditiously fired at the end of his lone year in Indiana. Jason Kidd may have traded in his string of short-lived head coaching appointments (Nets, Bucks — and surprise! — Lakers) for his current and seemingly steady job with the Mavs, but there is no doubt a type afforded the leniency of multiple failures in the NBA, and it tends to be white, male and abidingly faultless.
To Redick’s credit, he has vocally shouldered the blame of the Lakers recent, bad losses. When the team fell to the Timberwolves 109-80 to start the month, Redick noted their lacklustre effort was “looking more and more like it’s not an aberration”, correcting himself from a late-November blown effort against the Nuggets he said was. This week’s impressive loss to the Heat resulted in a two minute explanation from Redick that skimmed the existential and was anchored in the heavy weight of realization.
What’s difficult from here — beyond how the Lakers improve when their offensive energy is sporadic at best and their approach to defence has been to literally stand back and watch — is how to move forward into the long season still ahead, with the base level of competency and pride necessary for a cohesive team to function.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Ticket Booth
Presented by
Rockets @ Clippers
Sunday, Dec. 8 | 6:00PM | Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA | Get Tickets
Warriors @ Rockets
Wednesday, Dec. 11 | 8:30PM | Toyota Center, Houston, TX | Get Tickets
Pelicans @ Rockets
Thursday, Dec. 19 | 7:00PM | Toyota Center, Houston, TX | Get Tickets
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Ayo Dosunmu’s Big Fantasy Basketball Night
Dec 5, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) looks to pass the ball while defended by San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter/Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Dallas Mavericks dominated the Washington Wizards, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the charge. Doncic’s 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, alongside Irving’s 25 points, highlighted their commanding performance. Despite a lackluster showing from P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes and Spencer Dinwiddie delivered solid contributions. The Wizards’ decision to start Marvin Bagley over Jonas Valančiūnas was puzzling, given Bagley’s inconsistent play. Bilal Coulibaly’s struggles continue, and Jordan Poole’s shooting woes persist, though his minutes remain encouraging.
In another matchup, the Cleveland Cavaliers secured a significant win over the Denver Nuggets. Nikola Jokic’s 27 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists underscored his dominance, despite heavy minutes. Michael Porter Jr.'s defensive contributions were notable, with four steals and two blocks. On the Cavaliers’ side, Caris LeVert’s 21 points and Donovan Mitchell’s 28 points, six assists, and six triples were key to their victory.
The Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Toronto Raptors, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the charge with 30 points, five assists, and two steals. Cason Wallace’s defensive prowess was on display, contributing two steals and four blocks. The Raptors struggled without Jakob Poeltl, highlighting their lack of depth at the center position.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Rockets podcasts.
Alperen Sengun & Ime Udoka EJECTED, NBA Refs CALLED OUT After Houston Rockets Loss To Kings Breaking down the Rockets loss to the Kings, with Alperen Sengun and Ime Udoka both being ejected, that was marred by questionable officiating. Did the referees’ calls alter the course of this NBA Cup showdown?
Alperen Sengun Named Western Conference Player Of The Week + Houston Rockets Quarter Season Check-In Rockets center Alperen Sengun being named Western Conference Player of the Week, how the Rockets are gaining more national media spotlight and what that means for the organization, and where the Rockets stack up statistically through the quarter mark of this NBA season.
Fred VanVleet Drops 38 & Dillon Brooks Hits DAGGER In Houston Rockets STATEMENT Win Vs OKC Thunder Discussing the Rockets statement win against the Thunder, Dillon Brooks’ clutch game-winning shot, Fred VanVleet’s offensive explosion, Alperen Sengun flirting with a triple-double, shutting down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the fourth quarter and more.
