Tag: Tyty Washington

Player grades, statistics: How Rockets fared at 2022 NBA summer league

With rookies Tari Eason (A) and Jabari Smith Jr. (B+) leading the way, here’s our look back at what we learned about the Rockets during 2022 NBA summer league action.

With the NBA’s 2022 summer league officially in the books, we’re taking a look back at the performances of the young Houston Rockets.

The Rockets went 2-3 in Las Vegas, though it should be noted that they were 2-1 with a complete roster. They finished 0-2 after shutting down leading scorer Josh Christopher (right hip soreness) midway through.

Shooting struggles were a recurring issue. Of Houston’s nine rotation players, only two — Tari Eason and Daishen Nix — shot over 40% from the field. Nix was the only player to break 35% on 3-pointers.

Yet, the Rockets were still competitive throughout summer league play thanks in large part to their defense, which was spearheaded by the rookie duo of Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. in the frontcourt. Houston had hoped going in to also have second-year forward Usman Garuba as a defensive anchor, but he was unable to play due to injury.

Scroll on for 2022 summer league statistics, player grades, highlights, and key takeaways involving Houston’s nine consistent rotation players in Las Vegas: Christopher, Eason, Nix, Smith, TyTy Washington, Anthony Lamb, Trevor Hudgins, Trhae Mitchell, and Aric Holman. Grades are relative to realistic expectations for each player going in.

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Rockets shutting down Josh Christopher for rest of summer league

Josh Christopher, who currently leads the Rockets in scoring at the NBA’s 2022 summer league in Las Vegas, will miss Houston’s last two games due to right hip soreness.

Second-year guard Josh Christopher, who currently leads the Rockets in scoring at the 2022 NBA summer league in Las Vegas, will miss Houston’s last two games due to right hip soreness.

“I just aggravated it,” Christopher said, per Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. “I’ve been grinding a lot since the end of the year to this point and I think my body’s just starting to wear a little bit. Just making the team decision. Nothing major at all, but it’s being precautious.”

Rick Higgins, Houston’s summer league head coach, said at Wednesday’s practice that the coaching staff was already considering shutting Christopher down as a precautionary measure, Lerner reports. Many teams around the league often end the summer league stints of their established players early, as a means of injury prevention.

In three summer games, Christopher had averaged 19.7 points (39.6% FG), 4.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game. With Christopher out, fellow second-year guard Daishen Nix and rookie TyTy Washington are likely to see increased backcourt usage, starting with Thursday’s game versus Portland (schedule).

The Rockets are 2-1 in summer league play, with two straight wins.

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Why the summer Rockets may consider experimenting with more Tyty Washington usage

Second-year guards Daishen Nix and Josh Christopher have fared well. With that in mind, could the Rockets give more reps to TyTy Washington as summer league play winds down?

We are three games into the five-game Las Vegas summer league, and the young Houston Rockets are in the middle of what has to be described as a successful campaign. The team is 2-1, most recently with victories over the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

The 2022 first-round rookies have come exactly as advertised. Jabari Smith Jr. has flashed elite defensive potential, Tari Eason has been explosive and scrappy on both ends of the floor, and TyTy Washington looks like the balanced guard Houston hoped for when they drafted him.

In addition to the rookies, much of the group’s scoring and narratives have come from their second-year guards. Specifically, that’s 2021 first-round draft pick Josh Christopher and 2021 undrafted free agent Daishen Nix. Christopher has served as the team’s alpha engine on the offensive end, and Nix has started at point guard in all three contests.

With only two games left, it may be time to wonder if Houston should shut down their “veteran” guards in one or both of their last two games, starting Thursday versus Portland. It can be argued that they’ve seen everything needed from both Nix and Christopher, and teams often sit veterans late in summer league to guard against potential injuries.

Christopher has shown a diverse offensive skillset and aggression that could be pivotal on the team’s second unit during this upcoming season. Nix, after a slow start in the summer opener, has used his basketball IQ and patience at the point guard position to bring out the best from Smith while making the offensive a more cohesive unit. Both players scored 18 points, and Nix chipped in 6 assists during Monday’s victory.

As summer league winds down, this could be an interesting time to see what other guards have to offer in a low-stakes situation.

Washington, in particular, could be the benefactor of less infrastructure at the guard positions. He’s flashed excellent vision, along with a quickness that allows him to attack the paint easily when the court is properly spaced. The vacuum created from the loss of Nix or Christopher would not only give the coaching staff time to see these skills in a more featured role, but it could present an opportunity to Washington to further display what kind of talent he’s bringing to the NBA level.

Washington is already showing excellent chemistry with his fellow first rounders off the court. It feels only deserving that Washington sees every opportunity to flash that same talent in competition.

There are, of course, arguments against it.

Houston is finally winning some games here in the summer league, and there’s certainly a thought it may be best to leave the formula alone. Confidence is pivotal in young players, and the coaching staff may believe that the continued development of Nix and Christopher is a greater priority than anyone behind them on the depth chart.

After all, they’re both guaranteed to be factors in the Rockets upcoming regular season campaign. The depth chart at guard on the current roster, beyond Washington, is promised essentially nothing.

In addition to their own development, it’s hard to argue that Nix isn’t aiding in the development of Houston’s wing players. Smith, in particular, looked at his best on Tuesday when Nix was taking time to find him in the right spots on the court and allowing sets to develop that most benefited him. Elsewhere, Christopher’s volume on the offensive end is allowing players like Tari Eason better 3-point looks, along with more energy to spend on defense and second-chance offensive baskets.

Ultimately, this is a good problem to have for Houston. Their second-year players have shown development and are capitalizing against the inexperienced summer competition. Now, they just have to decide what’s best for the development of the group and the team at large.

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Led by Jabari Smith Jr., Rockets rookies showing out in summer league

Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason each showed out on Monday and continued a strong run in Las Vegas with the Rockets.

Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason on Monday each showed out to lead the Houston Rockets to a win over the San Antonio Spurs in the Las Vegas Summer League.

Smith, the third overall pick, produced 19 points, nine rebounds, two steals, one assist and one blocked shot in the 97-84 win. He went 6-of-12 from the field, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, in 28 minutes while tying a team-high of plus-23 on the court.

Eason finished with a game-high 22 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks for his third-straight double-double in Las Vegas. The No. 17 pick shot 9-of-16 from the field with two 3-pointers for his most efficient game of summer league.

Smith had his best game of the Rockets’ stint in Las Vegas on Monday. He hit the glass hard and displayed his ability to switch and guard smaller players throughout the contest. He has improved in each game as he looks to get more comfortable on the court.

Meanwhile, Eason continued his strong run with yet another double-double effort. He leads all players in that category and in rebounding through three games. He pushed the break on numerous occasions and had success finishing around the basket.

While Smith and Eason each had strong performances, TyTy Washington Jr. added eight points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds in 24 minutes of work. The 29th pick excelled in the open court and had some nice finishes, including a teardrop floater in the third quarter.

Certainly, the Rockets should be pleased with the showing from each of their rookies. With second-year players Josh Christopher (18 points) and Daishen Nix (18 points) also performing well, Houston appears to have some formidable pieces to build around.

The Rockets return to action on Thursday at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Despite not playing, Jeremy Sochan still found a way to trash-talk TyTy Washington Jr.

Sochan did not suit up on Monday for the Spurs but still managed to find a way to make some headlines versus the Rockets.

Jeremy Sochan did not suit up on Monday for the San Antonio Spurs, but the ninth pick still managed to find a way to make some headlines versus the Houston Rockets.

Sochan was ruled out of playing with the Spurs in the Las Vegas Summer League after reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus. He missed the Spurs’ week-long training camp and the team opted to hold him out of action as a precautionary measure.

He has since been cleared from the health and safety protocol and has been with the team in Las Vegas during various activities. He was on the bench as the Spurs faced the Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center and hilariously had a few words for TyTy Washington Jr.

Of course, the trash talk from Sochan is all in good fun. The two are cool with each other off the court and that resulted in a nice back and forth. Washington, afterward, even called him out a little bit for not being on the court.

While Sochan had some fun with Washington, the Rockets had the last laugh after picking up the 97-84 victory. Washington had eight points, four assists, three steals and two rebounds in 24 minutes of work in his third game in Las Vegas.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. breaks out, Tari Eason keeps rolling as Rockets blast Spurs

Rookie prospects Jabari Smith Jr. (19/9) and Tari Eason (22/11) were two-way standouts against the Spurs, leading the summer Rockets to a big victory on Monday night in Las Vegas.

Jabari Smith Jr. had his most efficient NBA summer league game to date and fellow rookie Tari Eason put up a third straight double-double, leading the Rockets to a 97-84 win (box score) over San Antonio. Houston (2-1) trailed by 18 late in Monday’s second quarter before outscoring the Spurs (0-3) by a whopping 31 points over the final two-plus quarters.

Smith scored 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting (50.0%) and 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%) in his 28 minutes, and he also contributed with strong defense, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals. Houston was +23 with the Auburn product on the court in Las Vegas, and -10 in the 12 minutes he sat.

Meanwhile, Eason led the Rockets in scoring and rebounding with 22 points and 11 rebounds, respectively, and he also added 2 steals and 2 blocks. The rookie forward from LSU was efficient for a second straight game, making 9-of-16 shots (56.3%) and 2-of-3 on 3-pointers (66.7%).

With Smith and Eason leading the way, the Rockets were dynamic defensively in the second half — as evidenced by San Antonio scoring just 30 points overall and a mere 11 during a decisive third quarter.

Daishen Nix had his second consecutive strong game as a floor general for the Rockets, scoring 18 points while dishing out 6 assists. Josh Christopher scored 18 points, as well, and took over the game late in the fourth quarter as Houston pulled away for the double-digit victory.

We’ll have more coverage in the days ahead as the Rockets gear up for their next summer league game on Thursday night versus Portland (schedule). For now, here’s a look at Monday’s highlights and immediate reaction by players, coaches, media members, and fans.

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Podcast: Key takeaways from Houston’s 2-1 start at NBA summer league

In Monday night’s podcast, Brian Barefield (@BigSargeSportz) shares his summer league impressions from Las Vegas regarding Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and the rest of the young Rockets.

LAS VEGAS — Our Brian Barefield has followed the Houston Rockets (2-1) for the first three games and associated practices at the NBA’s 2022 summer league, so we welcomed him to The Lager Line podcast Monday to share what he’s learned watching Jabari Smith Jr. and company.

Though Smith struggled in his first two games as a shooter, the 19-year-old was very efficient with 19 points in Monday’s win over San Antonio, and he’s regularly delivered a significant impact on the defensive end.

With that in mind, topics discussed on the podcast include:

  • Reaction to Smith’s summer league start and his mentality, and why the good has clearly outweighed the bad
  • Early impressions of fellow rookies Tari Eason and TyTy Washington
  • The competition between Washington and Daishen Nix for potential backup point guard minutes in the 2022-23 season
  • Optimal usage patterns for Josh Christopher
  • Aric Holman as a potential backup big candidate for the 2022-23 Rockets, behind Alperen Sengun

Monday’s complete episode can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also made available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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TyTy Washington enjoys Arizona reunion with Jalen Williams

Rockets guard TyTy Washington enjoyed Saturday’s reunion with fellow Arizona native Jalen Williams of the Thunder, and he really enjoyed shaking Williams on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

LAS VEGAS – As time was ticking off the clock in the first half of Saturday’s Houston Rockets summer league game versus Oklahoma City, Rockets guard TyTy Washington received a cross-court pass from teammate Daishen Nix right above the 3-point line.

With Josh Christopher open in the corner, the Thunder defender had to quickly decide who he would guard, and he followed his instincts and closed out on the shooter. From there, Washington pump-faked a shot, took one hard dribble to the right, and hoisted up a 24-foot 3-point shot over the outstretched arm of a second defender. Washington’s shot hit nothing but net, giving his team a 45-40 halftime lead.

What made the shot so special wasn’t that Washington made a good basketball play. It was the fact that he had pump-faked his old high school nemesis, Jalen Williams, who was selected at No. 12 overall in the 2022 NBA draft by Oklahoma City. The two Arizona natives grew up playing against each other and are good friends off the court.

“It felt really good,” Washington said about his buzzer-beater over Willams. “When he was running at me, I looked at him, and once I pump-faked him and moved to the side, I heard him screaming, ‘That’s off.’ So, after I made it, I looked at him like, come on Jalen, you know I got this.”

Washington, who scored 9 points in 22 minutes, was a standout high school player at Ceasar Chavez and Arizona Compass Prep. Meanwhile, Williams shined at Gilbert Perry. The two have known each other for a very long time, but they hadn’t played against each other in a while.

“Me and Jalen started playing against each other when we were like babies, like eight or nine years old,” Washington said postgame. “From middle school to early high school. This is my first time playing against him since then. It’s been a long time, but just seeing us out there on the biggest stage out there competing was really cool.”

Williams echoed the same friendly sentiments towards Washington in his post-game press conference.

“It is kind of rare, especially in Arizona, to play against someone you grew up with,” said Williams, who finished with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting (58.3%) in 28 minutes. He also had 5 rebounds and 2 steals. “I have known TyTy (Washington) since we were like six. So, it was a really cool experience and he played well, too, so that was dope.”

Arizona became a hot spot for NBA talent in this year’s draft. In all, six players from the state were drafted, including Washington, who was selected by Memphis at No. 29 and traded to the Rockets.

“I feel like Arizona is slept on, but this year we had six people who went to high school in Arizona get drafted,” said Washington, who put Houston in front for good with a floater in the final 30 seconds of Saturday’s win. “Arizona is not a bummy state. We got a few hoopers out there.”

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Takeaways: In defensive battle, Jabari Smith Jr. rallies Rockets past Chet Holmgren, Thunder

Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren had similar games Saturday, with each defending well while struggling to finish on offense. But Smith made more key plays late, leading to Houston’s win.

Saturday’s summer league showdown between the Rockets and Thunder featured a clash of two of the top-three rookies in the NBA’s 2022 draft class: Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren.

Both prospects struggled to finish on offense, with Smith and Holmgren scoring 12 points apiece on 26.6% and 30.0% shooting, respectively. But each made a clear mark on defense, with Holmgren recording 8 rebounds and 4 blocks while Smith had 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 blocks — with the latter two categories leading the summer Rockets.

Most notably, Smith saved his best for last. The Auburn product drilled a 3-pointer and a turnaround jumper in the final five minutes to put the Rockets back in front, and he collected a steal and a crucial late stop as Houston held on for a 90-88 win (box score). The final stop was massive, since Smith defended without fouling and used his length to force talented second-year guard Josh Giddey into a miss as time expired.

Smith wasn’t the only impressive rookie. Tari Eason had an efficient night with 14 points and 11 rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting (50.0%), while TyTy Washington added 9 points in 22 minutes off the bench — including a floater with under 30 seconds left that put Houston ahead to stay.

Second-year guards Josh Christopher and Daishen Nix led the Rockets in scoring with 19 and 16 points, respectively. Christopher added 9 rebounds and 5 assists, while Nix dished out a team-high 6 dimes.

Our Brian Barefield is on the scene in Las Vegas and will have more postgame content on Sunday, which is when the Rockets will practice as they gear up for their next summer league game on Monday versus San Antonio (schedule). For now, here’s a look at Saturday’s highlights and immediate reaction by players, coaches, media members, and fans.

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Takeaways: Jabari Smith Jr. shows progress in summer league opener versus Paolo Banchero, Magic

Jabari Smith Jr. (10 points, 7 rebounds) improved as the game went along in Houston’s summer league loss to Paolo Banchero and the Magic. We’ve got postgame reaction and key takeaways.

Thursday’s NBA summer league opener in Las Vegas was billed as a nationally televised showdown between two of the top rookies from the 2022 draft — No. 1 overall choice Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic versus No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr. and the Houston Rockets.

Smith held his own and showed flashes as the game progressed, but fellow rookie Caleb Houstan stole the show for the Magic with 20 points in 28 minutes off the bench on 5-of-9 from 3-point range (55.6%), leading to Orlando’s 91-77 win (box score) at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Smith finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists in 29 minutes for the Rockets (0-1), and he was as impactful as advertised on defense — particularly on switches against Magic guards. Meanwhile, Banchero had 17 points, 6 assists, and 4 rebounds for Orlando (1-0).

Houston was short-handed on the interior, with projected starting center Usman Garuba unavailable due to a left ankle sprain. He could return when the Rockets resume their summer league schedule on Saturday versus No. 2 draft pick Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City.

Tari Eason was the highest usage rookie for the Rockets, collecting 14 points and 13 rebounds while playing tough defense over 24 minutes. However, he struggled with his jump shot, shooting just 6-of-17 (35.3%) and 2-of-9 on 3-pointers (22.2%). Second-year guard Josh Christopher led the way in scoring with 22 points on 7-of-18 shooting (38.9%).

Our Brian Barefield is on the scene in Las Vegas and will have more postgame content on Friday. Until then, here’s a look at highlights and immediate reaction by players, coaches, media members, and fans.

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