Four Observations From Rockets Summer League Loss To Kings
HOUSTON — The Houston Rockets closed the 2022 NBA Summer League tournament on Saturday in a 92-81 defeat to the Sacramento Kings inside the Cox Pavilion arena.
Here are four takeaways following the Rockets' loss to the Kings ...
Rockets had no interest shutting Jabari Smith down for summer league play
The final summer league match for the Rockets lost its hype due to the absence of Keegan Murray. The Kings decided not to play Murray because they saw enough from their top rookie prospect, who averaged 23.3 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field in four summer league games.
Similar to Murray, Jabari Smith Jr. has had an impressive outing in Las Vegas of his own. But the Rockets had no interest in shutting their top prospect down for the final game of the summer league tournament.
He played 30 minutes in the loss to the Kings. His playing time was a testament to Houston's player development desires.
Smith was the only player selected in the top five of the 2022 NBA Draft to play every summer league contest.
The Orlando Magic shut Paolo Banchero down after the first two games, while an injury left Jaden Ivey on the sidelines for the Detroit Pistons. Chet Holmgren missed the Oklahoma City Thunder's final contest of the Salt Lake City Summer League tournament on July 7 due to rest.
Jabari Smith Jr. continues to showcase defensive potential
After recording back-to-back 19-point performances, Smith had arguably his worst offensive game of the summer. He missed 11 out of his 15 shot attempts for 12 points. But his best contributions took place on the defensive side of the ball.
Smith registered 12 rebounds, two blocks and a steal — affirming his belief that defense is his "greatest attribute." Smith's best summer league highlight took place late in the fourth quarter with a dunk attempt rejection on Jeriah Horne.
Solid on-court production from Tamenang Choh
Outside of a lousy 57 seconds of playing time in the win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, Tamenang Choh spent all of the summer league tournament watching the Rockets compete from the sidelines.
But against the Kings, coach Rick Higgins called Choh's number early in the second quarter. He played 15 minutes in the loss but provided the Rockets with great contributions on both ends of the court. Choh recorded five points, three rebounds and a steal.
Choh's best play of the night took place at the 9:17 mark of the second quarter when his assist created an easy dunk attempt for Tari Eason.
Rockets appeared fatigue
After five games in nine days, the hefty schedule the Rockets played in Las Vegas seemed to have impacted their loss against the Kings.
Houston appeared fatigued as the team missed several easy shot attempts. They failed to get back on defense in transition on a few occasions.
Houston's players began bickering back-and-forth with officials, which resulted in Daishen Nix picking up a technical foul. And the Rockets' energy seemed low on both ends of the court.
You can follow Coty Davis on Twitter @CotyDavis_24
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