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3 definitive reasons to recalibrate your expectations for Houston Rockets
Sep 28, 2022, 3:20 pm
Jalen Green is poised for a breakout season. Composite image by Brandon Strange.
Thankfully, Houston Rockets not headed the Portland route
NBA Training Camp is upon us. That also means media day for NBA has taken place as well. Teams and their fan bases are all excited about the prospects for the upcoming season. Anticipation for what's to come is high. Teams will always keep their minds on the task at hand. It's the fans that need to stay engaged. They also can tell when a season isn't going to go well and will check out quickly if things are off the rails.
The Rockets come into the 2022-23 season with more promise than the previous couple of seasons. They have some young talent ready to breakout. They also have some vets on hand to help those young guys out. While I'm not expecting a playoff run, it wouldn't surprise me to see them challenge for a play-in spot. Here are three reasons Rockets fans should be excited for this season:
Jalen Green's continued growth and development: Green had a coming out party towards the end of his rookie year. Over his last 10 games, Green failed to score more than 23 points twice. Six of those games he scored 30 or more. His efficiency went up as he learned shot selection and choosing his spots. He started allowing the game to come to him and/or forcing the action when necessary. This kid loves the game and truly wants to get better. I believe we'll see a more polished version of Green this season. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he took a leap in every major statistical category. A first time All-Star? I think it's a possibility.
Jabari Smith Jr. will be everything Christian Wood should've been and then some: Wood gained a rep for being a bit aloof. He wasn't very self-aware, and seemed to be more self-absorbed than a team player. While his play as a stretch four was good, Smith Jr. can be that much better. Wood wasn't a consistent defender and his efforts showed. Smith Jr. seems to take pride in his defense. That alone is worth the change. Having a former NBA player as a dad and growing up around the game has given him the desire to be great. He's seen what this life has to offer. He knows what it takes to be great and appears poised to take the league by storm. Personally, I think he's the perfect fit for the Rockets. Future All-Star player for sure.
A playoff appearance isn't out of the question: With the NBA sticking with the play-in format for the final two playoff spots, it gives 10 teams in each conference a chance to make the playoffs. If 20 of the 30 teams make it and the Rockets can't make at least a push to get one of those final spots, I'll be shocked. These guys are young, hungry, and eager to make their marks on the league. Never underestimate a guy looking for an extension such as Kevin Porter Jr. Throw in Tari Eason, Green, Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun...and you have the makings of a feisty young squad with hunger that can only be spelled by winning.
Gone are the 20-win seasons. Heck, 30-win seasons may be a thing of the past as well. Brighter times are ahead for this team. If they show signs of being a viable contender, who's to say general manager Rafael Stone doesn't use some assets to make a trade for a superstar player they believe can help get this team to make a run in the playoffs? Armed with young talent and a bevy of picks, this team is poised to win at some point. Maybe it's this season. Don't be shocked if they end up playing past the play-in games.
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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