Podcast: Evaluating the Rockets at 2022-23 season’s quarter pole

At the approximate quarter point of the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Houston Rockets (5-16) have the identical record that they did one year ago. They’re also coming off deflating back-to-back losses in Denver by an average of 18 points per game.

While it’s clearly another rebuilding season, is that relative lack of progress alarming? In Friday’s episode of The Lager Line, hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves discuss what to make of the young squad’s uneven play through the first six weeks of a new season.

Discussion topics include:

• Areas of potential improvement for head coach Stephen Silas and the rest of Houston’s leadership;
• An evaluation of guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green;
• Whether adding an established backup point guard in a more traditional mold would help;
• Reasons for the recent upturn in performance by rookie Jabari Smith Jr.;
• Potential rotation changes, such as a need for consolidation and a case for starting KJ Martin over Eric Gordon.

Friday’s full podcast can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also available to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”