With the NBA’s 2022-23 regular season only a few days away, the Houston Rockets (2-1) wrap up their preseason schedule with Friday’s visit to Indiana (2-1). Prized rookie prospect Jabari Smith Jr. remains out with a left ankle sprain, but he has resumed basketball activities and appears on course to return to the starting lineup in time for the team’s regular-season opener on Oct. 19 in Atlanta.
Among those playing, perhaps the biggest storyline is the ongoing integration process of second-year center Alperen Sengun with Houston’s starters. The 20-year-old Turkish big man flourished in his preseason debut but struggled in Monday’s loss at Miami, with a lower usage rate alongside starters like Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. relative to when Sengun was the hub of bench units last season.
Friday’s exhibition versus Myles Turner and the Pacers offers Sengun and the Rockets one last opportunity to build positive momentum before the games become much more meaningful next week.