Rockets’ dress rehearsal: What to watch for in final preseason games against Pelicans and Hawks

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) drives the ball past Utah Jazz forward Ace Bailey (19) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025.

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

The telltale glow of an upcoming NBA season dawned last week when a group of conspicuously dressed guests strolled through the Houston Rockets’ training facility.

The Rockets, like many other NBA teams this fall, brought in a crew of referees to officiate a preseason practice. One benefit is that players can adjust to how officials will call games this season. Another benefit?

“(Players) don’t cuss out our interns for calling bad fouls,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka deadpanned.

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Preseason is the designated time for dry runs, after all. But halfway through the Rockets’ preseason schedule, things are about to get more real.

Houston is 2-0 after beating Atlanta and Utah at home. The Rockets’ remaining two preseason games this week — Tuesday against the Pelicans in Birmingham, Ala., and Thursday against the Hawks in Atlanta — will be more like dress rehearsals before curtains go up Oct. 21 for opening night.

Here’s what to watch for when the Rockets take the court:

Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) shoots over Utah Jazz guard Svi Mykhailiuk (10) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025.

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

Different lineup combinations

Playing time and rotations in the next two games will be more reflective of what the Rockets want to implement in the regular season. Starters will have their minutes bumped up to the mid-20s and 30-minute range, and the team will implement more sophisticated schemes after what Udoka characterized as a “semi-vanilla” first two games.

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Expect the starting lineup to change again, too. The Rockets switched up the Game 1 starting five (Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Şengün) when Kevin Durant, who didn’t play in Game 1, replaced Eason in the lineup for Game 2. Udoka said he planned to go with a different starting lineup for each preseason game, which probably means Sheppard’s time is over for now.  

One option is to start a double-big lineup featuring center Steven Adams, who came off the bench in Game 1 and sat out Game 2. Another option is starting Eason with a Thompson-Durant-Smith-Şengün lineup for a defensive shot in the arm.

Two players are ruled out for the rest of preseason: forward Jae’Sean Tate and wing Dorian Finney-Smith, who are both recovering from offseason ankle surgeries. Tate is aiming to play on opening night, but Finney-Smith is likely to miss an undetermined number of regular-season games.

Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) grabs a rebound during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Houston, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025.

Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle

More corner 3-pointers

Outside shooting was the Rockets’ Achilles heel last season, a problem that the additions of Durant and Finney-Smith are meant to help solve — but it won’t be up to them alone.

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Udoka said that though the Rockets don’t want to rely on 3s as their only method to win games, he wants the team to take more 3-pointers across the board and capitalize on the gravity of the three primary scoring threats: Durant, Şengün and Thompson.

“We don’t want to pass up shots and we encourage guys, since I’ve been here, to let it fly, especially off of Alpi,” Udoka said. “Kevin and Amen getting downhill, they attract the attention, and it should lead to more kickout 3s. We definitely got to get more corner 3s up. It’s been an emphasis of ours to spread the court, hunt some of those in transition. And so kind of whatever the game dictates and how teams defend, you’ll get more or not, but understand the three players that will really attract attention and other guys should be recipients of 3s.”

Udoka’s mention of corner 3 volume is important. The Rockets made 37.3% of their shots from the corners last season, but those shots accounted for just 20.5% of their total 3-point attempts.

Last season, Houston ranked 21st in the league in 3-point percentage (35.3) and 20th in average 3-point attempts (35.8). Through two preseason games, the Rockets are shooting 39.7% (27-of-68) from deep on 34 attempts per game.

As expected, Smith (5-of-9) and Sheppard (3-of-8) have been consistent perimeter threats so far. But Thompson and Şengün have also each hit two 3-pointers and looked confident doing so, a trend that if it continues could make the Rockets far more dynamic on offense.  

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Houston’s other standout 3-point shooters are backup guard Aaron Holiday and two-way guard JD Davison, who are a combined 11-of-26 in the preseason.

Holiday said that in the Rockets’ open offense, where whoever gets the ball after a steal or defensive rebound can dribble up and initiate offense, the key to getting better 3-point shots is better awareness and pace.

“Just playing faster, getting to our spots a little quicker, just understanding the roles that we have to play, and just how to get to certain situations in the game in practice so we can practice that,” Holiday said. “But mostly, just playing a little faster.”

Houston Rockets center Steven Adams (12) posts up against Atlanta Hawks forward/center Onyeka Okongwu (17) at the Toyota Center in Houston on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025.

Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle

Can the defense improve?

The Rockets built an identity on being one of the best defenses in the league last season, which is why Udoka wasn’t pleased in the first two preseason games when opponents averaged 50% from the field and 37.2% on 3-pointers.

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Last season, Houston held opponents to an average of 109.8 points per game; in preseason, the Rockets allowed the Hawks to score 113 points and the Jazz to score 127.

“Could be better,” Thompson said after the Utah game.

The Rockets spent the last few days watching film of defensive possessions. Udoka said most of the lapses occurred in transition and off the ball in the halfcourt, usually because of miscommunication or simply being slow to get matched up.

The Rockets are also throwing out plenty of zone defense, primarily (but not always) with a double-big lineup. Udoka said they plan to deploy the zone with a variety of lineups this season as a matchup-based strategy and to counter foul trouble.

“I can see a lineup of Kevin, Amen and Jabari, even being small, we can switch everything or even be in zone with their activity there,” Udoka said. “So it’s not just a double big thing, although they do work well. I think they communicate really well out of it, but it’s worked well for us in general, so I think we are going to employ it for all of our lineups.”