#Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore threw out ceremonial first pitches before Friday’s Astros-Royals game at Minute Maid Park.
In June, new Rockets head coach Ime Udoka introduced himself to Houston fans by throwing out a ceremonial first pitch for Major League Baseball’s Astros, the defending World Series champions.
On Friday, with training camp for the 2023-24 NBA season a little over a week away, newly drafted Rockets rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore took advantage of the same perk.
Thompson, drafted at No. 4 overall in the 2023 first round, is fully healthy and ready to go after suffering a grade-two ankle sprain at the NBA’s 2023 summer league. Whitmore, the No. 20 pick, hopes to build on his momentum from winning summer-league MVP.
While neither Thompson nor Whitmore is originally from Houston, they’re getting acclimated to the city in the days leading up to training camp. Thus, an opportunity to take the big stage at Minute Maid Park — where the city’s most prestigious sports franchise of this generation plays — was one they couldn’t responsibly pass up.
Through photos, videos, and interview quotes, here’s a look back at all of Friday’s activities involving the two Rockets rookies.
Several big names with #Rockets ties are featured on the @HoopsHype list of the most overpaid NBA players of all-time, including one at No. 1 overall.
In the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, veteran guard John Wall was paid more than $80 million by the Rockets despite not playing a single game. Effectively, Houston prioritized minutes and development for its younger players ahead of the former five-time All-Star.
It was a bitter financial pill to swallow for owner Tilman Fertitta and general manager Rafael Stone, but it’s worth remembering there weren’t many alternatives when it came to acquiring Wall in the first place. At the time, aging star Russell Westbrook was disgruntled and on a nearly identical contract to Wall — and it wasn’t possible to move one very bloated contract without taking back another.
With that in mind, the Rockets swapped Westbrook for Wall and a future first-round draft pick just prior to the 2020-21 season. Because Wall was considered a somewhat lesser player with a greater injury history, Washington had to include a draft asset, and that incentive made sense for a Houston team starting its rebuild.
But from a basketball standpoint, Wall played one season with the franchise. In 2021-22, which was the second-to-last year of Wall’s contract at the time, Houston agreed to a non-playing arrangement with Wall while working to trade him. During the 2022 offseason, when it was clear that further trades weren’t realistic, the Rockets struck an agreement with Wall to buy out the final year.
Not surprisingly, Wall’s salary relative to production in those years contributed to him being statistically the most overpaid player in NBA history, according to HoopsHype’s Real Value metric.
Here’s a look at which players with Rockets ties ended up on HoopsHype’s list of the 30 most overpaid players of all-time with analysis by Frank Urbina and Raul Barrigon. It’s worth noting that some of these players were overpaid by non-Houston franchises during other portions of their long careers.
Jordi Fernandez, Canada’s FIBA coach, on Dillon Brooks: “He is a superb professional. Inside the locker room, he connects with his teammates, everyone respects him.”
In the NBA, the career of veteran forward Dillon Brooks has become known at least in part for antics, such as the feud with LeBron James in last season’s playoffs. But in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, where Brooks was a standout for third-place Canada, the value of Brooks’ defense and on-court play far exceeded any drawbacks.
For the Houston Rockets, who signed Brooks in July, the hope is that FIBA level of play carries over into the 2023-24 NBA season.
In an interview with Toni Canyameras from Mundo Deportivo, Jordi Fernandez — head coach of Canada’s men’s basketball national team — raved about Brooks’ contributions.
(He’s) excellent. He is nothing more than a normal person who comes in and is very professional. He takes good care of himself (and does) all the work to be 100% ready to play. His work in the gym, the things he does on his own — he is a superb professional.
Inside the locker room, he connects with his teammates, everyone respects him. He is like the rest of the group, he is nothing out of this world. He is one of the best competitors I have ever seen, and on the entire court, not only defensively, where he has superpowers, but he’s shown offensively that he can not only score but also be efficient with the quality of the shots.
“He came with the spirit of working and doing what was necessary for the team and the national team, (he came in) to have a good time and enjoy the experience,” Fernandez said of Brooks.
“In the end, he’s been improving as a player,” Fernandez concluded. “I have only very positive words for him at all levels: offensively, defensively, as a player, worker, teammate. I’ve tried to get to know him and establish a good relationship. This is a very beautiful and coachable group, and when you establish this connection and relationships, there are positive moments.”
Next up for Brooks is training camp with the 2023-24 Rockets, which begins in Houston during the first week of October.
Canada earned its first-ever FIBA World Cup medal in men’s basketball, and the defense of #Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (named Best Defensive Player) was a huge reason.
Forward Dillon Brooks enjoyed a strong run as Canada secured its first FIBA World Cup medal, and he punctuated his effort with an astonishing 39-point outburst on peak efficiency during Sunday’s victorious third-place game versus the United States,
While the scoring breakout was certainly appreciated, Brooks’ contributions in Manila started on the defensive end, as they typically do in the NBA. That’s a big reason the Houston Rockets signed him in the 2023 offseason after a successful stint in Memphis.
With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Brooks was FIBA’s choice for Best Defensive Player of the tournament.
The Best Defensive Player is Dillon Brooks, who was more than glad to accept any defensive responsibilities for Bronze medalists Canada. His physical one-on-one defense against the likes of Luka Doncic and Evan Fournier played a huge role in important victories for The Land of Maple Leaf. Moreover, he was an integral part of one of the best defensive units in the World Cup.
It’s a fitting honor for Brooks, who will report to 2023-24 training camp with the rest of Rockets in early October.
[lawrence-related id=116435,116409,116404]
“I'm the best perimeter defender in this tournament, in the world, in the NBA.” 🛡️
Dillon Brooks is the Best Defensive Player of #FIBAWC 💯
With 39 points on peak efficiency, Dillon Brooks was sensational and even drew MVP chants as Canada upset Team USA to win its first-ever FIBA medal. #Rockets
The stakes of Sunday’s third-place game at the 2023 FIBA World Cup between Canada and the United States were well below the championship final that both NBA-laden rosters had expected.
Yet, for Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks, who had a strong World Cup run with his native Canada, it presented an opportunity to defend and attack some very talented opponents.
In a matchup with Team USA stalwarts, including Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges, Brooks was the star of the show. In leading Canada to the 127-118 win (box score) and a third-place finish, Brooks finished with a game-high 39 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. He shot 12-of-18 overall (66.7% FG), 7-of-8 on 3-pointers (87.5%), and 8-of-10 on free throws (80%).
The astonishing performance by Brooks even elicited some “MVP” chants from fans in Manila. It resulted in Canada receiving the bronze medal — its first medal in FIBA World Cup history.
Read on for highlights, interviews, postgame analysis, and immediate reaction from social media. As for Brooks, up next is the start of 2023-24 training camp with the Rockets in early October.
“A lot of people don’t like him, but I respect him for what he does, and he does that stuff really good,” Luka Doncic said of his World Cup matchup with Dillon Brooks.
Basketball fans around the globe enjoyed the full Dillon Brooks experience during Wednesday’s 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals matchup in Manila between Canada and Slovenia.
Brooks, who will play for the Houston Rockets in the 2023-24 NBA season, had 14 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 28 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 (71.4% FG) overall and 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%). Defensively, Brooks made life difficult for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who shot just 8-of-20 from the field (40.0%) as Canada downed Slovenia to advance to the semifinals, 100-89 (box score).
Naturally, there was also some extracurricular activity. Brooks often blew kisses to a booing crowd in Manila, and with Canada holding a large fourth-quarter lead, he picked up a second technical foul for taunting and was ejected. Shortly thereafter, Doncic was ejected for picking up his own second technical, seemingly agitated by Brooks.
“A lot of people don’t like him, but I respect him for what he does, and he [Brooks] does that stuff really good,” Doncic said postgame.
With the win, Canada advanced to the World Cup semifinals, where a matchup versus Serbia awaits on Friday.
In photos, here’s a look back at Wednesday’s activity. Highlights, analysis, interviews, and postgame reaction are available here.
Among #Rockets players, Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, and Alperen Sengun are leading the way in NBA 2K24’s initial player rankings for the 2023-24 season.
The looming release of the NBA 2K24 video game (Friday, Sept. 8) also involves learning NBA 2K’s ratings for all players across the league. To determine virtual skills, players are rated 1-to-100 across many categories, including a frequently disputed overall rating.
Courtesy of HoopsHype, we also have an idea how each player stacks up compared to his NBA peers. For example, the highest-rated players on the 2023-24 Rockets roster — veteran guard Fred VanVleet, third-year guard Jalen Green and third-year center Alperen Sengun — all have an overall rating of 83, per 2Kratings.com.
Based on HoopsHype’s data from last season, that would be tied for 57th overall while matching players such as Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, Mikal Bridges, Jonas Valanciunas, Jalen Brunson, John Collins, Desmond Bane and Nikola Vucevic.
Houston’s fourth-highest-rated player is Kevin Porter Jr., who has an 81 rating. That would be tied for 85th based on HoopsHype’s player data from the 2022-23 game cycle.
From best to worst, scroll on for the initial list of overall ratings involving players on the 2023-24 Rockets. Additional ratings in other categories, such as 3-point shooting and dunking, are available at 2Kratings.com. Depending on results this season, these roster ratings could be adjusted in future NBA 2K digital updates.
Courtesy of the team, take a look back at top individual #Rockets performances from the 2022-23 season and the recently completed 2023 summer league.
The 2023-24 NBA season (schedule) will start slightly later than usual. The opening game for the Houston Rockets is Wednesday, Oct. 25 in Orlando. One reason for the delay could be the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup, in which newly signed forward Dillon Brooks is playing a key role for Canada.
The late start means a longer-than-usual slow period in the NBA calendar: 2023-24 training camps don’t open until early October. As a result, many players and coaches around the league are on vacation as they soak up their last moments of free time for months.
Many remain diligent with offseason training regimens, as well.
With that in mind, it’s a good time to reflect on what we saw from the Rockets in the recently completed season. Courtesy of the team, here’s a look at top individual performances from the 2022-23 league year and the NBA’s 2023 summer league, which finished in July.
With assistance from the Rockets, Cam Whitmore partnered with Wilson Sporting Goods to present the Harriet & Joe Foster Family YMCA with a donation check and a basketball clinic.
With assistance from the Rockets, rookie forward Cam Whitmore partnered with Wilson Sporting Goods to present Houston’s Harriet & Joe Foster Family YMCA with a donation check and to conduct a basketball clinic for its members on Tuesday evening.
Earlier this summer, Wilson jointly announced a campaign with three rookies: Whitmore, Jett Howard of the Orlando Magic and Jalen Wilson of the Brooklyn Nets. The program’s mission was to increase basketball-playing access at a YMCA in each team’s market.
Each player was able to increase Wilson’s donation amount through their play at the NBA’s 2023 summer league in Las Vegas. Whitmore, who was named MVP of summer league, doubled Wilson’s donation amount through his strong performance in July.
Wilson’s summer league program is part of a multiyear national partnership with YMCA of the USA, a leading nonprofit organization. Over the past three years, the group has provided $1.5 million in funding to enable equity and access to sport for underserved youth.
Here’s our behind-the-scenes look at activities organized by Whitmore and the Rockets on Tuesday evening.
