The Houston Rockets have passed the halfway point of the season at 28-16, fourth in the Western Conference, just two games behind Denver and San Antonio. And while half the games have been played, most consider the unofficial mid-point of the year the All-Star break, which is Valentine’s Day weekend this year. This comes just 10 days after the league’s trade deadline.
So, while January may be a bit of a bog for teams and fans, what with the cold conditions and first signs of weariness from the players, February can be a wild ride with the postseason just a couple months after. So far, so good for the Rockets. Let’s see what happened this week.
**Reed Sheppard a Rising Star**
The Rockets second-year guard was named to the sophomore group of the Rising Stars team this week. The three teams (Rookies, Sophomores and G-League players) will be put into three teams coached by NBA legends Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, and Tracy McGrady, and play in a round-robin tournament with a fixed point amount for each game. Sheppard has had a solid follow up to a rather disappointing rookie season. He’s averaging almost 13 points, 3 assists and just under 40 percent from the three-point line.
Sheppard has certainly benefitted from Fred VanVleet missing the season with the torn ACL he suffered the week before training camp opened. And Sheppard has made the most of his opportunities. The Rising Stars competition will be on February 13 in Los Angeles as part of All-Star weekend.
**Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun All-Star Reserves?**
All-Star starters were named last week with no Rocket getting the votes to make the Western Conference squad, but it is a given Durant will be a reserve. While Sengun might not make it outright, injuries to key players may get him his second All-Star nod. Durant, 37, has remained an incredible offensive force averaging 26 points while shooting 56/40/88, essentially his career averages.
Sengun has been a bit hot and cold this season and has dealt with a few injuries, but he is still averaging 21 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists, and remains the primary focal point of the offense. He and Durant combined for 66 points, 17 rebounds and 8 assists in their win over Memphis Monday night.
**Ime Udoka’s All-Defense Lineup**
All season, Rockets coach Ime Udoka has pushed various players in and out of the rotation and starting lineup, preferring to adjust to the strengths and weaknesses of opponents rather than keep it the same every night. With Steven Adams out for a while with a severe ankle sprain, Udoka has had to get creative and Monday night was no exception.
At one point, he used a lineup of Amen Thompson, Josh Okogie, Tari Eason, Dorian Finney-Smith and Durant. In his postgame presser, Udoka said he wanted an all switching lineup to go against the Grizzlies athleticism. Defensively, that is a terrifying lineup for any opponent. You could swap out Jabari Smith, Jr., who seemed to be suffering from an illness last night, for Okogie and the same thing goes. Thompson and Eason were nicknamed the Terror Twins last season. Adding Finney-Smith might make them triplets. These are small lineup changes worth watching going forward.
**Interesting Week Ahead**
The Rockets aren’t likely to go super small against the Spurs when they face them again at Toyota Center on Wednesday. A win would match the Spurs in the loss column and leave the Rockets just one game back in the standings. The Spurs are better than many expected, but the Rockets could go up 2-1 in the season series with a win on the home court.
The rest of the week is strewn with struggling teams including the aforementioned Grizzlies last night, a quick trip to Atlanta to face the very meh Hawks on the second night of a travel back-to-back, and then back home for a Dallas team that has snuck up on the Rockets this year.
**Trade Deadline, Shmade Deadline**
Don’t expect much of a splash from the Rockets come February 5, the league’s trade deadline. They feel very good about the group they have assembled and, if any moves are made, it would likely be a small one to add shooting or perhaps another big man to help in the absence of Adams. Players like Finney-Smith and Eason will no doubt have suitors, but GM Rafael Stone seems pretty content with this group and, if he were to make any deals, would likely relegate them to backups and limited rotation players. Hard pass on Ja Morant.
This article appears in [Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026](https://www.houstonpress.com/?post_type=newspack_collection&p=402482).