Marcus Smart hasn’t spent much time in Houston yet, but he’s already drawing strong backing from inside the locker room.
Fred VanVleet made that clear during his Media Day press conference, calling Smart the "ultimate competitor" and pointing to the veteran guard’s habit of delivering in big moments. For a Rockets team expecting Smart to anchor the defense and set a tougher tone, that kind of endorsement matters.
VanVleet’s praise wasn’t built on reputation alone. He and Smart have spent years going head-to-head as starting guards on opposite Eastern powers, with Smart patrolling the Celtics and VanVleet leading the Raptors.
Those battles helped cement Smart’s image as a physical, versatile defender who could swing playoff series, and his run with Boston included a 2022 Finals appearance under head coach Ime Udoka. He also won Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, a résumé item that naturally carries weight in Houston.
That familiarity is part of why Smart seems to have walked into immediate respect. Several veterans on the Rockets know him well from those matchups, and his defensive profile is exactly what this group believes it needs. The hope is simple: Smart can help lift Houston’s defense another level this season.
There’s also a more recent reason the Rockets wanted him. His playoff series last season for the Lakers against Houston left a mark, as he made key defensive plays to help steal clutch games and exposed Reed Sheppard’s weaknesses. Bringing him in now gives the Rockets another source of defensive pressure, while also giving Sheppard a strong practice opponent to learn from.
Still, the fit comes with some questions. Since being traded from Boston, Smart’s career has gone in different directions.
He had rough stretches with the Grizzlies and Wizards, though he did bounce back with the Lakers last season. Even so, his overall year in Los Angeles was uneven.
He finished last season shooting 40% from the field and 33% from three, with averages of 9 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Those numbers matter in Houston, where spacing has been a problem for years, and Smart can’t make that issue worse.
But the Rockets aren’t bringing him in to be a floor spacer first. As VanVleet and others around the team see it, Smart’s real value is on the defensive end. If he brings the effort, communication and edge he’s known for, Houston expects that standard to spread across the roster.
In Other News...
Amen Thompson Faces Bigger Rockets Expectations After One Painful Snub
Amen Thompson walked into Rockets media day carrying the weight that comes with a five-year, $208 million extension, and he didnt sound interested in treating it like a finish line. The young wing talked about sharing a major contract milestone with his brother Ausar, who signed a similar deal with the Pistons, and about what the new money means in practical terms as much as professionally. For Houston, the larger point is obvious: the organization is paying for the kind of two-way growth that can help turn a promising core into something far more dangerous.
Thompson also framed the conversation around what still has to come next, with his focus fixed on sharpening his defense and chasing a championship in the 2026-27 season. He discussed the disappointment of falling short of All-Defensive recognition and the motivation that comes with being overlooked, while also offering a few personal details about how life has changed since the extension. It all adds up to a reminder that the Rockets are no longer talking about Thompson as a breakthrough story, but as a player expected to meet a much higher standard. [Read more 🡒]
Fred VanVleets Return Could Change Everything For Houstons Offense
Fred VanVleet is back in the picture for Houston after missing the entire 2025-26 season with a torn ACL and meniscus, a loss that left a real void in the Rockets backcourt and in their overall organization. After spending the year away from game action, the veteran guard has been medically cleared for a return in 2026-27 and is already back with the group in training camp, which gives the Rockets a much-needed stabilizer as they try to sharpen an offense that could use more direction.
VanVleets presence matters here beyond just another healthy body. Houston has been looking for steadier leadership, cleaner ball-handling and better late-game execution, and those are exactly the areas where he can change the feel of a possession and, by extension, a close game. There is still a short runway before the season starts, but the expectation around camp is that he will be out there when the preseason begins, which gives the Rockets an early chance to see how much smoother things look with him back steering the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Rookie Already Sees What Makes Kevin Durant So Different
Bruce Thornton did not need long to understand why Kevin Durant still commands so much attention around the Rockets. During media day, the rookie described Durants shooting and leadership as impressive, a reminder that Houston is adding far more than a high-end scorer as it prepares for the 2026-27 season. Thornton, taken 31st overall in 2026, arrives with a strong Summer League showing and a real chance to earn a backcourt role if he can carve out space in a deep rotation.
The challenge for Thornton is that Houstons roster strength also makes opportunity hard to come by, especially in the backcourt where minutes will be competitive from the start. Even so, working alongside Durant offers a useful early lesson for a young guard trying to stick in the league, and it gives the Rockets another sign that their newest piece is already paying attention to the standard being set around him. [Read more 🡒]