Rockets enter trade deadline at 8-2 in last 10 games
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What recent performance trends are impacting the Rockets' trade deadline strategy?
Rockets fans, welcome to the Rockets LaunchPod, an exclusive podcast from the home of the Rockets. Sports Talk 790. Red Nation, get ready. The Rockets LaunchPod starts now. Welcome aboard.
Welcome in to another new episode of the Rockets LaunchPod presented by ClutchFans. I'm Ben DuBose, he's Paolo Alves, and tonight we're going to be discussing the recent results for the Rockets, as well as the potential implications for the NBA's in-season trade deadline of this Thursday at 2 p.m. Central. So a couple housekeeping items off the top. If this episode sounds a bit less polished than usual, we're doing only very minimal editing. We're recording this on Tuesday night, the 3rd of February, and the deadline is only about 40 hours away on Thursday afternoon. So the longer we take to get this out, the more time there is for something we say to get outdated. And even if it's not that, there's just less time for our audience to find and listen to the episode before the deadline if we wait.
Also, I'm traveling this week, so I can't guarantee that my hotel Wi-Fi connection is as good as it usually is at home. I hope it is, but no promises.
How do injuries to key players affect the Rockets' playoff chances?
I will promise that we will have better production value in future episodes once I'm back in Houston and things are less time sensitive. And then one last disclaimer, Paolo and I are going to have a three-way postgame show with Dave Hardesty of Clutch Fans on Saturday afternoon once that nationally televised Rockets Thunder game is completed. We'll post that episode here on this podcast channel, but you can also listen live on the Clutch Fans YouTube page. And then on that show, beyond just reaction to that game, we'll also have reaction to the trade deadline since it will have officially passed only about 48 hours before. So we're going to try and be a bit quicker today in this preview show, and then we can follow up with some more analysis after the fact to try and add more context as to what does or doesn't happen.
All right, with disclaimers out of the way, let's get into today's show. The good news is what's happening on the basketball court. The Rockets, they've won their last three games over Atlanta, Dallas, and Indiana. That's improved them to 31-17 on the year, and they're actually 8-2 in their last 10 games. If you look at the top eight seeds in the West as of Tuesday, that 8-2 mark from the Rockets is at least two games better than every other team in the top eight over that span. So Houston's definitely making up some ground in the standings. They are still number four in the West, but they're now tied in the loss column with the Nuggets and only a game back of the Spurs. Houston has fewer games played than most teams, but that is going to change in the near future.
The Rockets have a home back-to-back this week against the Celtics and Hornets on Wednesday and Thursday, and then they bet another one next week against the Clippers. So, for better or for worse, the total of overall games, that's about to catch up.
What are the potential trade options for the Rockets as the deadline approaches?
But as far as the key takeaways from their recent play, on the balance, you shouldn't ever complain about winning 80% of your games in a decent-sized sample. Keep in mind, the Rockets were just coming off a stretch where they went 10-10 in 20 games. So it's definitely improved. They're playing harder on defense, which you know Ime Udoka loves. They're executing better in close games. Jabari Smith Jr., he's bounced back after going through that deep slump in early January. There's lots of good signs. But with all that said, there is at least a small sense of unease with the fan base, and I understand why. It's not about the amount of games they've lost lately. I think it's about how they've lost. Because since the middle of January, you had two home games against the top two seeds in the West, the Thunder and the Spurs, and they both followed a very similar formula.
Both were there for the taking, entering the fourth quarter, and then you just couldn't generate any sort of half-court offense at all when it truly mattered.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What recent performance trends are impacting the Rockets' trade deadline strategy?
0:03–1:44
2
How do injuries to key players affect the Rockets' playoff chances?
1:44–3:31
3
What are the potential trade options for the Rockets as the deadline approaches?
3:31–4:58
4
How does Kevin Durant's presence influence the Rockets' decisions?
4:58–6:29
5
What concerns do fans have about the Rockets' recent losses?
6:29–8:09
6
What factors should the Rockets consider for future seasons?
8:09–9:44
7
How does the buyout market impact the Rockets' roster decisions?
9:44–11:49
8
What conclusions are drawn about the Rockets' strategy moving forward?
11:49–52:14
Speakers
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