After three straight years of averaging fewer than 20 wins per season, the Houston Rockets (41-41) took a massive leap back to relevance during the 2023-24 NBA season. Now, as they inch closer to 2024-25, they’re hoping to build on that in what will be the second season for head coach Ime Udoka. Unlike 2023, Houston will not have significant salary cap room to reshape its roster. The good news is they may not need to. All members of Houston’s core six of young prospects — Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore — are under contract. So, too, a ..read more

Alperen Sengun was one of three finalists for the NBA’s 2023-24 Most Improved Player award, joining Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey and Chicago Bulls guard Coby White. But as announced Tuesday, the third-year Houston Rockets center was not the award’s winner. That honor went to Maxey, whose Sixers (47-35) are currently participating in the 2024 playoffs. Sengun’s season ended prematurely on March 10, when he suffered a severe ankle sprain. Between his ensuing 18-game absence and Houston (41-41) missing out on postseason play in the Western Conference, that made it tough for Sengun to ear ..read more

The Rockets are very likely to own the No. 44 overall pick in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft, as determined by a series of random-draw tiebreakers conducted Monday by the league office. The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Sacramento Kings all finished with matching 46-36 records this season. In the first round, these teams will be in the No. 13 through No. 15 slots in the order. In the second round, they are tied at No. 43 through No. 45 overall. Because Miami advanced to the playoffs and the other two did not, the Heat were placed last in the first-round order. Then, the Kings ..read more

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced Monday that its  2023-24 regular season delivered record-breaking engagement in Europe and the Middle East across the NBA App, NBA League Pass, and the league’s 18 localized social media accounts in the region. Complete details are available in the league’s announcement. As it pertains to the Rockets, the NBA included some interesting data: Driven by Alperen Sengun’s breakout season for the Houston Rockets, Turkey ranks third among followers of @NBA on X [formerly Twitter], behind only the United States and the Philippines. NBA League P ..read more

The 2023-24 NBA season is over for the young and improving Houston Rockets (41-41), but that doesn’t mean their work is on pause until 2024-25 training camp starts in late September or early October. In comments from last week’s end-of-year press conference, head coach Ime Udoka made it clear that offseason work is a vital part of the path forward. And he’ll have an active role in leading that. Among Udoka’s comments: Seems like a good number [of players] will be here [in Houston]. It’s a big emphasis for me and my staff to go see our guys. Get your time off, and be right back at it [to find ..read more

Though he’s officially been with the Houston Rockets since early February, veteran center Steven Adams won’t suit up for the team until this fall. He missed the entire 2023-24 NBA season after undergoing surgery for a lingering knee injury last October. But when the 30-year-old does return, he’ll bring quite a reputation with him. In The Athletic’s latest anonymous player poll, Adams finished second (16.8%) in the league on the question of “Which NBA player would you least like to fight?,” trailing only Indiana’s James Johnson (53.6%). In all, 125 current players answered the question. “He kno ..read more

Despite his 2023-24 season ending early due to a March 10 ankle injury, third-year center Alperen Sengun showed enough over the preceding 63 games with the Houston Rockets to be one of three finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. On a per-game average basis, the 21-year-old Turkish big man led the Rockets in scoring (21.1 points) and rebounds (9.3), all while shooting a team-high 53.7% among rotation players. That was enough for Sengun to earn All-Star consideration earlier this year, and it makes him a finalists for one of the league’s prestigious annual awards. Other finalists a ..read more

Playoff statistics, appearances, and championship information for Yao Ming are provided in this article, in case you’re curious how well he performed in the postseason in his NBA career. Ming’s longest playoff run came with the Houston Rockets in 2009, as they made it to the Conference Semifinals. He went to the postseason four times in his NBA career. Yao Ming Playoff History Playoff Stats: 28 GP | 19.8 PPG | 9.3 RPG | 1.0 APG Playoff Series Record: 1-4 Playoff Record: 14-18 Playoff Appearances: 4 Conference Finals Appearances: 0 NBA Finals Appearances: 0 Championships: 0 Watch the NBA Pla ..read more

What are Tracy McGrady’s career NBA postseason numbers? Continue reading for a full list. McGrady, who never won an NBA title, made it to the playoffs nine times, with his longest postseason run coming with the San Antonio Spurs in 2013, when they lost in the NBA Finals. Tracy McGrady Playoff History Playoff Stats: 50 GP | 22.2 PPG | 5.7 RPG | 5.0 APG Playoff Series Record: 3-9 Playoff Record: 30-35 Playoff Appearances: 9 Conference Finals Appearances: 1 NBA Finals Appearances: 1 Championships: 0 Watch the NBA Playoffs on Sling TV! Tracy McGrady Playoff Appearances 2013: San Antonio Spurs ..read more

Hakeem Olajuwon racked up some good numbers in his NBA career, but how impressive was he when it really mattered? Scroll down for Olajuwon’s postseason statistics as well as where his team finished every year he made the playoffs. Olajuwon racked up two championships over the course of his career, his last one in 1995 with the Houston Rockets, when they beat the Orlando Magic four games to zero. Hakeem Olajuwon Playoff History Playoff Stats: 145 GP | 25.9 PPG | 11.2 RPG | 3.2 APG Playoff Series Record: 16-13 Playoff Record: 76-69 Playoff Appearances: 15 Conference Finals Appearances: 4 NBA F ..read more