Marcus Smart wasted no time giving the Rockets a glimpse of what he can do for them when the games start counting.
Houston’s second preseason outing came with a clear spotlight on Smart, and he answered it with a strong all-around line: 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in 24 minutes. He also knocked down four of nine shots from beyond the arc, a useful sign for a team that can use every bit of perimeter help it can get.
That kind of performance matters because Smart is not just another body in the rotation. With his experience as a lead ball-handler, he gives Houston a way to keep the offense moving when Fred VanVleet is off the floor. Last season, the Rockets didn’t really have that kind of veteran guard presence, especially with VanVleet missing the entire year because of injury.
Smart’s biggest appeal is how many different jobs he can handle. If the shooting holds up, he can become exactly the kind of 3-and-D depth piece contenders always seem to have and the Rockets have been missing.
That would be a big ask, though, considering his career 32% mark from three-point range. Even so, better shot selection as he gets older could help that number look a little more respectable.
What stood out in the preseason game wasn’t just the jumper. Smart mixed in spot-up threes with drives and playmaking, showing a feel for when to hunt his own offense and when to create for others. A lot of that work came near the rim, where he was making smart decisions and keeping the ball moving.
VanVleet’s return should change Houston’s offense in a major way, but Smart gives the Rockets another stabilizer. He can help keep bench units organized and fill in if VanVleet has to miss time. In practical terms, Houston could go from barely having any veteran point guard minutes last season to having one of VanVleet or Smart on the floor almost all the time.
There’s another wrinkle, too: Smart’s size and toughness let him slide over to shooting guard when needed. At 6-foot-3, and with the defensive sturdiness he’s built his reputation on, he can handle bigger perimeter assignments while still letting Houston keep its best playmakers together. That opens the door for Smart and VanVleet to share the backcourt, giving the Rockets more flexibility.
For Houston, that kind of optionality is the whole point. Smart already looks like a strong fit, and if this preseason showing is any indication, he could end up being a much bigger part of the Rockets’ ceiling than people expect.
In Other News...
Rockets Opening Week Plan Sends An Early Message About Two Veterans
The Rockets are wasting little time making their rotation intentions clear in opening week. Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams will both sit the first back-to-backs to start the season, a move that says plenty about how Houston wants to handle two veterans it expects to lean on over the long haul. In Adams case, the approach fits a familiar pattern, with the team planning to manage his minutes and availability carefully after a lengthy injury history.
There is also an immediate ripple effect in the backcourt when VanVleet is unavailable. Instead of turning to Reed Sheppard, Houston plans to start Marcus Smart at point guard, giving the Rockets a more experienced hand to organize the offense while VanVleet rests. It is an early-season lineup wrinkle, but one that offers a useful glimpse at how the coaching staff sees the guard rotation unfolding when the schedule starts to tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Rockets Open Against A Mavericks Frontcourt Problem That Could Matter Fast
Opening night brings the Houston Rockets a Dallas frontcourt that is already short-handed, and the matchup is shaped as much by availability as by star power. Kyrie Irving is set to make his return to NBA action for the Mavericks, but Dallas is dealing with several injured players and the big-man rotation is especially thin heading into the game.
Dereck Lively II is out because of right foot surgery, leaving an immediate hole in the middle for a team that could use every body it can get. Houston has its own injury watch to track as well, with Steven Adams and Julian Phillips listed as questionable, so the opening-week frontcourt picture is still fluid on both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Mavs Still Have A Rotation Problem Heading Into Houston
The Rockets will get a look at a Dallas group still trying to sort out its backcourt rotation early in the season, a problem that has followed the Mavericks into their matchup in Houston. The issue is not just about shuffling names around on the depth chart. It is about how Dallas handles point guard minutes, how it manages the wear and tear of the schedule, and how that balance will shape the tone of the first stretch of games.
Fred VanVleet is part of that equation, along with Steven Adams, and the workload picture is already being watched closely as the season opens. Houston does not need to solve Dallas rotation for it, but the Rockets do benefit from any uncertainty the Mavericks bring into the game, especially if their preferred lineup combinations are still being sorted out before tipoff. [Read more 🡒]