Houston Rockets

Yao Ming is officially a FIBA Hall of Famer after being inducted as part of the class of 2023 on Thursday at a ceremony in Manila, Philippines.

The eight-time NBA All-Star gave a brief speech as part of his induction in which he expressed thanks to the "hundreds of names" who came before him to help make the game of basketball what it is today.

Ming was among the 12-person class inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame at this year's ceremony.

The stellar FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is here! 🏀 🌟

The ceremony will take place in Manila on 23 August, 2 days before the tip-off of the @FIBAWC 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1DUAuJBFq9

— FIBA Basketball (@FIBA) June 2, 2023

Ming has joined an exclusive group of former NBA players who have been inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a 2016 inductee into the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Other NBA players in that group include Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Shaquille O'Neal and Steve Nash.

Ming had a storied career as part of the Chinese national team. He led his home country to three gold medals at the FIBA Asia Cups in 2001, 2003 and 2005. He was named to the All-Tournament team at the 2002 FIBA World Cup after averaging 21 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists in eight games.

After declaring for the NBA draft in 2002, Ming became the first international player to be selected No. 1 overall when he went to the Houston Rockets.

Ming appeared in 486 games with the Rockets in nine seasons. He averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game during his NBA career.

The Houston Rockets are a wild card for 2022-23.

Hopes aren't typically high when a team finished the previous season 22-60 and with the 28th-best record in the NBA, but this year's Rockets are a new team. They entered the offseason with the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and more salary cap space than any other team in the league.

Enter Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks, and pair them with new head coach Ime Udoka, and this team is truly one to keep an eye on. The free agency moves were polarizing, but are a leap toward contention.

Here is the schedule they will have to navigate.

2023-24 Rockets Schedule Details

Season Opener: at Orlando Magic, October 25, 7 p.m. ET

Championship Odds: +3,500 (bet $100 to win $3,500), per FanDuel

Full Schedule: The full schedule is available on NBA.com.

How many bears does it take to make a schedule release, @jabarismithjr? pic.twitter.com/XZD5BkZU8J

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 17, 2023

Your itinerary for the 2023-24 @NBA season.

Details: https://t.co/HFxpdohqYq pic.twitter.com/JIEoWPeHUf

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) August 17, 2023

Top Matchups

Boston Celtics

In a normal year, a matchup against an Eastern Conference foe in a much different situation would not be notable. However, this matchup will be, and it is all about Ime Udoka.

Udoka began as the Celtics head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season and led the team to a 51-31 regular season record and a trip to the NBA Finals. He was respected by his players and was looking at being a long-term bench boss for the historic franchise.

What happened? Well, a scandal ended his time in Beantown, and facing his old team for the first time will allow the situation to get some new life.

Memphis Grizzlies

This is another situation where the hype will surround one individual, but this one is even messier. Dillon Brooks had a polarizing tenure with Memphis, and his return could see physical play escalate.

The end of his time with the Grizzlies was rough, but he still was a difference maker they have to replace. He has made comparisons between this Rockets teams and Grizzlies teams he has played on, so there is some appreciation at least, but he will have some extra pep in his step for these matchups.

In addition to that added incentive, the Grizzlies and Rockets are division rivals, so these matchups mean even more and will happen frequently.

Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden had the best years of his career in Houston, but has played for several teams since then. Why does this year matter?

Well, it looked like a return to the Rockets was on the cards for Harden, as the immense cap space could make him a rich man. His opt-in with the 76ers pretty much ended those hopes, but for a few weeks Houston fans thought a reunion was going to happen.

These matchups will be an opportunity for VanVleet and Brooks to show that they were superior acquisitions and carve a place in the hearts of Rockets fans. Seeing the new blood take on old friends is always must-see television.

His future with Philadelphia remains extremely bleak, especially since he claimed he would never play for an organization that employs Daryl Morey. Still, this could be an opportunity for the Rockets to show him what the good days used to entail.

Season Forecast

As stated before, this season is very hard to predict. The Rockets were abysmal in 22-23 and haven't made the postseason since 2019-20. The core is still pretty young, despite the additions, and expectations should not be sky high.

However, this team has a chance to be gritty. Brooks and VanVleet made names for themselves based on tenacity. This team should be able to frustrate opponents and should definitely take a huge step in the right direction.

Record Prediction: 37-45

One of the big winners of free agency, Dillon Brooks was a hot commodity for several contenders around the Western Conference.

The new Houston Rockets' wing was reportedly also being courted by the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, according to The Athletic's Kelly Iko. Brooks met with the Lakers and the two sides were in talks, but there was no "smooth pathway" for the deal to get done.

With their cap situation and considering the deal that Brooks got—four-years, $86 million—Los Angeles would have had to complete a sign-and-trade like the Rockets did with the Memphis Grizzlies to acquire him, per Iko.

It ended up working out for both sides as the Lakers had arguably the best free agency haul of any team in the league, improving a squad that made an incredible run to the Western Conference Finals last year.

As for Brooks, he got the big bucks and joins a young, talented Rockets squad that will rely on him to be one of the veteran leaders along with fellow free agent additions Fred VanVleet and Jeff Green

The All-Defensive Second-Team selection will be the defensive focus on a team full uber-talented offensive wings like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr, Cam Whitmore and Amen Thompson, who will also play guard next season.

It also would have been strange to see Brooks team up with LeBron James and the Lakers given that he had his fair share of run-ins with the league's all-time leading scorer this past season.

Brooks even went as far to call James "old" during the Grizzlies second-round series against Los Angeles, which they lost in six games. The former Oregon star was accused of poking the bear and shouldered with Memphis' loss.

The $86 million that Brooks will make over his four seasons in Houston can go up to $90 million with incentives. It's a big pay day for a guy that made a little over $38 million over his first six seasons in the league, per Spotrac.

Last season he averaged 14.3 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 39.6 percent shooting from the field.

Houston Rockets rookie Cam Whitmore has dazzled on both ends of the floor throughout the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, and it earned him the 2023 Summer League MVP award:

CAM WHITMORE

Your 2023 Summer League MVP 🏆 pic.twitter.com/2svDuppOq3

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 17, 2023

Whitmore helped lead the Rockets to a 5-0 record and a berth in the summer-league championship, where they will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.

The No. 20 pick in this year's draft, Whitmore was originally projected as a lottery pick before questions about his health caused him to tumble down draft boards. He has played with a chip on his shoulder throughout summer league, and he seized the chance to shine when the Rockets shut down Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason after the first two games.

Whitmore has averaged 20.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 3.0 steals per game in Las Vegas. In Sunday's semifinal win over the Utah Jazz, he stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal.

The Villanova product looks like a strong addition to the Rockets' young core, which has been on full display this summer.

The 2022 No. 3 pick, Smith was far and away the best player on the floor during his limited time, averaging 35.5 points in his two games. Eason also dominated with averages of 23.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. 2023 No. 4 pick Amen Thompson looked solid before an ankle injury shut him down for the remainder of the session.

It remains to be seen how it all will come together under Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who was hired this offseason to replace Stephen Silas. However, it's clear that the future is bright in Houston, and Whitmore is one of the reasons for that.

The 2023 NBA Summer League championship game is set.

After winning their respective semifinal matchups on Sunday, the Houston Rockets will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers for the title on Monday at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on ESPN at 9 p.m. ET.

In a battle of unbeaten teams, the Rockets (5-0) topped the Utah Jazz 115-101 to remain undefeated in the Las Vegas session. The Cavs also have a spotless 5-0 record heading into the championship after beating the Brooklyn Nets 102-99 in overtime.

Cleveland has never played in a summer league title matchup, and this is Houston's first time back in the final game since 2014 when it fell short against the Sacramento Kings. Both squads would be looking to secure a summer league championship ring, which was first introduced during the 2022 session.

Here is a first look at the 2023 Summer League Championship rings. Rings were introduced at Summer League in 2022. pic.twitter.com/YwFvqAvTFd

— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) July 10, 2023

Here's a look at some of the standout players to keep an eye on in Monday's championship game:

---

Rockets Players to Watch

Houston has looked like an offensive juggernaut in Las Vegas, leading the league with 109.0 points per game entering Sunday.

Much of the Rockets' success has been largely due to the production of 2022 No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr., who is the leading scorer during summer league play at 35.5 points per game through two appearances. Tari Eason has also performed well at 23.0 ppg, and 2023 No. 4 pick Amen Thompson looked solid before suffering an ankle injury.

However, all three of those players have been shut down for the remainder of the summer league session, giving Cam Whitmore a chance to shine. After falling to the No. 20 pick in this year's draft, Whitmore has played with a chip on his shoulder and excelled on both ends of the floor with averages of 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and a league-high 3.5 steals.

The Villanova product stuffed the stat sheet with 25 points, four rebounds, four assists, two blocks and a steal on Sunday against Utah. Nate Hinton led the way with a game-high 27 points.

"Call him Rod because he is on a wave right now." @MarkJonesESPN on Cam Whitmore 😂 pic.twitter.com/HGzB2pHfpa

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 16, 2023

In addition to Whitmore and Hinton, two-way point guard Trevor Hudgins has been a revelation for Houston after he increased his production once Smith, Thompson and Eason were shut down. Look for him to also play a big role for the Rockets on Monday.

---

Cavaliers Players to Watch

Cleveland was the best defensive team in the NBA during the 2022-23 season, and that philosophy has carried over to summer league. The Cavs have held their opponents to 86.4 points per game for a league-best +11.4-point differential.

After not having a first-round pick in this year's draft, Cleveland's summer league squad lacks star power but still has some intrigue with some recognizable names.

The Cavs are led by 2022 second-round pick Isaiah Mobley, who is the older brother of Cleveland defensive anchor Evan Mobley. The elder Mobley has looked like a stud during the summer league session and powered the Cavs past the Nets on Sunday with a game-high 23 points along with seven rebounds, five assists, plus the game-winning shot in overtime.

ISAIAH MOBLEY CALLED GAME 😤 pic.twitter.com/iavQTyFYkV

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 16, 2023

2023 second-round pick Emoni Bates has also looked strong for Cleveland, scoring in double figures in all five games. He had 20 points and seven rebounds on Sunday, hitting four of his five three-pointers.

Not to be overlooked, former Utah State star Sam Merrill has been lighting it up in Las Vegas with an average of 18.8 points, including a 19-point outing on Sunday. He will be a key factor in Cleveland's quest for a summer league championship.

It was a mixed bag type of night for Golden State Warriors' rookie Brandin Podziemski.

While he showed off some of the skills that made him the No. 19 overall selection in this year's NBA draft, he also displayed a lot of the growing pains that'll come with a first year player in a loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday.

Podziemski, 20, had arguably his best shooting night since Vegas Summer League started, finishing with 10 points 4-of-8 shooting from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point range, much better efficiency than the 1-of-10 nightmare he had Wednesday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

He also grabbed three rebounds and really showed off his playmaking ability with six assists, including a highlight dime to fellow rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis in the third quarter.

However, he was sloppy.

As he good as he was dishing it out to his teammates, Podziemski also had a game-high five turnovers in a game where the Warriors lost the turnover battle 22-10.

But these are the types of mistakes expected to happen in summer league and that will hopefully be ironed out a bit by the time the regular season rolls around.

Still, Warriors Twitter had mixed feeling following Podziemski's outing.

The dime from Brandin Podziemski into dunk for Trayce Jackson-Davis!pic.twitter.com/fwaCjobwEU

— DraftKings (@DraftKings) July 14, 2023

@redrock_bball @NBADynastyADP @rhett_bauer Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis will provided way more to the Warriors than Moses Moody and James Wiseman. Convince me I’m wrong.

— Adam Rizzo (@R1zzo23) July 14, 2023

Brandin Podziemski 3 assists in 7 minutes pic.twitter.com/41OxZNzNmw

— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) July 13, 2023

https://twitter.com/StatsboyeVEVO/status/1679666506668605440

Podziemski's performance was scrutinized even further given that the guy taken right after him in the draft stole the show.

Literally.

Cam Whitmore, who was considered a top 10 prospect throughout the pre-draft process, fell all the way to the Rockets at No.20, right past the Warriors and he showed them what they were missing out on.

He finished with a game-high 26 points to go along with five rebounds, an assist and eight steals, which is a new Vegas Summer League record. Whitmore put on a show at both ends of the floor and showed why he could be a bigger part of Houston's plans earlier than expected.

What's perhaps even more impressive is that he did that without Jabari Smith Jr. or Amen Thompson on the floor, carrying Houston by himself.

And Twitter was mind blown that a talent like Whitmore could fall so far in the draft.

stealin' and slammin'! pic.twitter.com/vyBbgokKTO

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 13, 2023

🚨 Cam Whitmore just tied the summer league record with steals in a game with 8. pic.twitter.com/cjshbBjW36

— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) July 14, 2023

The Warriors getting a first hand experience of the player they passed on in Cam Whitmore.

— ᵂᴵᴸᴸ (@BiasedHouston) July 14, 2023

I still wonder how cam whitmore slipped to 20…20!!!

— Leo💙🚀🦅 (@leozingiz) July 14, 2023

Cam Whitmore made the Warriors look like fools tonight. He’s gonna fit right in.

— Dwar (@BigDwar) July 14, 2023

Teams might’ve dropped the ball on Cam Whitmore

— Rayjon (@Rayjon_) July 14, 2023

How you think the warriors feel about passing on Cam Whitmore?

— Rock (@roccityo) July 14, 2023

https://twitter.com/MagicMan816/status/1679658185865547778

Cam Whitmore at 20 might be the best thing to happen to the Rockets in a while. Dude is so good and is only gonna get better.

— Bobby (@bschragel) July 14, 2023

The night the Rockets drafted (stole) Cam Whitmore will go down as one of the best moments in Houston sports history.

— Matt Weaver (@matteweaver) July 14, 2023

Lakers filled a need with JHS as DLo replacement but Cam Whitmore might be THAT guy smh

— Scrappy Doo (@EkbirPurewal) July 14, 2023

While the Warriors' time in Vegas may be over after going 0-3 in their "regular season" games, the Rockets are undefeated and may be eyeing an opportunity to bring the summer league title back to Houston with the playoffs about to start.

Dillon Brooks sees a lot of parallels between his new team and the one he just left.

Speaking to Jackson Gatlin of Locked on Rockets, Brooks explained the Houston Rockets roster he's joining is "exactly" like the Memphis Grizzlies from three-to-four years ago.

Asked Dillon Brooks how Memphis prepared him for this role in Houston:

"I feel like it's exactly the same team from 3-4 years ago. Jalen is like Ja Morant. Jabari is like Jaren. Young guys that can expand their games to be the best in the league."

📺 https://t.co/7pu3eRG8vz pic.twitter.com/SuVqytfuxF

— Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) July 10, 2023

At this point four years ago, the Grizzlies had Jaren Jackson Jr. going into his second season and just drafted Ja Morant with the No. 2 overall pick.

The 2019-20 Grizzlies increased their winning percentage by more than six percent from the previous season (33-49 to 34-39). They built off that success by making the playoffs the following year for the first time since 2016-17.

Over the past two seasons, Memphis' 107 regular-season wins are the fourth-most in the NBA.

The Rockets are certainly hoping they can follow that path. Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson have all been drafted with a top-four pick in each of the past three years.

While none of those players has yet proven themselves to be a potential franchise superstar, it's still very early in their development process to make any long-term proclamations about their abilities.

Houston's front office is hoping to expedite the rebuilding process after signing Brooks and Fred VanVleet in free agency.

The end of Brook's tenure in Memphis, where he played for the past six seasons, was marred by a series of headlines about his on-court controversies and calling out players like Draymond Green and LeBron James.

Before those issues, though, Brooks was a valuable player for the Grizzlies because of his defensive versatility.

The 27-year-old certainly needs to stop shooting the ball as much as he has (14.8 field-goal attempts per game over the past four seasons), but he can give the Rockets an identity on defense that's been sorely lacking for a long time.

Often at the center of NBA Twitter's collective rage and memes, Dillon Brooks got the last laugh after cashing in this offseason in free agency.

Brooks, 27, got a fully guaranteed, four-year, $86 million deal from the Houston Rockets following a sign-and-trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, who he spent the first six seasons of his career with.

The number took plenty of people around the league by surprise, namely ESPN's Brian Windhorst, who voiced his shock and happiness for Brooks on the latest episode of his "Hoop Collective" podcast.

"Dillon Brooks can give the middle finger to anybody, at least until the start of the season," Windhorst said. "Because he got over on everybody. No matter what anybody wants to say, no matter what anybody that played against him or whatever, you can judge whatever he got.

"... Holy mackerel, Dillon Brooks. Take that, world."

Brooks' deal is especially luxurious considering that none of the other Rockets' free agent signings got fully guaranteed contracts. Even Fred VanVleet, the team's big acquisition for three-years, $128.5 million, has a third-year team option.

So, Brooks is set for the long run and he can earn $4 million more in incentives.

It's a huge step up for the All-Defensive Second-Team selection, who made about $38.7 million over his career thus far, per Spotrac.

Joining a squad that's full of recent lottery talent, Brooks will be tasked with being the defensive center piece for coach Ime Udoka' as well as a veteran leader trying to guide the Rockets' back to playoff contention.

Best known for being an irritant the last few years with the Grizzlies, Brooks is coming off a season in which he averaged 14.3 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 39.6 percent shooting from the field.

Dillon Brooks became a hot topic of conversation this past season for his aggressive style of play and trash-talking antics.

But perhaps lost in some of that noise was the fact that he was also a second-team All-Defensive selection this past year. Not that he cares what people think.

"I'm not sure. It doesn't matter to me," Brooks told The Athletic's Kelly Iko when asked why more of the focus on him doesn't include that achievement. "I know every single night, guys are thinking about me. It's in their mind before the game even starts. So I'm not worried about that. It's just one thing you put down as a good accolade and try to keep replicating each and every season. But I'm happy that I made the team."

The Houston Rockets took notice, signing him to a four-year, $80 million contract this offseason. And after six years in Memphis, Brooks is hoping to take on a leadership role with the young Rockets.

"I'm just trying to be contagious. I just want to be contagious energy, you know what I'm saying?" he said. "And I feel like with my veteran presence, my leadership, my energy, it's contagious. And guys play hard and guys want to play on both sides. So I can't wait to have that effect and change it around."

While initial reports were that Dillon Brooks' sign-and-trade to the Houston Rockets was worth $80 million over four years, it appears that the 27-year-old wing is getting a slightly better payday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday that Brooks' deal with Houston actually landed at four-years, $86 million and that incentives can bring it all the way up to $90 million.

The former Memphis Grizzlies' defensive stopper has really cashed in after making $38 million total over his first six seasons in the league.

Brooks initially signed with the Rockets on July 1, continuing an already impressive offseason for the franchise that also added Fred VanVleet and Jeff Green to help bring some veteran guidance to a young, talented squad.

The 2022 All-Defensive Second-Team spent his entire career with Memphis, becoming a key piece to the Grizzlies' core over the last several seasons.

However, a dip in his output both in the regular season and playoffs led to the organization deciding to move on from him. Instead, the Grizzlies decided to trade for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart, who can give Memphis a bit more offensive firepower than Brooks while still being elite on the other end of the floor.

Last season Brooks averaged 14.3 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 39.6 percent shooting from the field.

But despite the offensive struggles, his defensive capabilities will keep him on the floor for a coach like Ime Udoka, who prioritizes that side of the ball and who will be relying on Brooks to be the defensive focus of the team.

In addition to all his tangible skills, Brooks will also be required to help mentor some of the young talent on the Rockets' roster like Jalen Green, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr., all recent lottery picks that are still looking to bring the franchise closer to playoff contention.

And although Brooks certainly had his antics in Memphis, he was definitely one of the leaders on that squad that was one of the best in the West over the past couple of years.