Rockets Have Plenty to Gain From Two Preseason Games in China

The Houston Rockets will play their first two preseason games in Macau, China, against the Dallas Mavericks. This will be part of the NBA China Games, with the first matchup on Friday, October 9, followed by the second on Sunday, October 11. Both games will be played at The Venetian Arena in Macau and broadcast live on NBA TV.

Houston will have several key players back and healthy after injuries derailed their season last year. I’m especially interested in Fred VanVleet because this will be his first opportunity to share the floor with Kevin Durant, and seeing how those two work together should give us an early glimpse of what Houston’s offense could eventually become. Adding Steven Adams back in the lineup will also be crucial for the Rockets, as he is one of the best offensive rebounding centers in the NBA.

Houston Needs This Time Together

I’m not really interested in whether the Rockets leave Macau with two wins because, at the end of the day, it’s still preseason. What I want to see is whether this group looks comfortable together and if there are signs that some of the things Houston has been working on throughout training camp are beginning to translate into an actual game.

The expectations around this team are high for a reason. Durant is entering his second season in Houston, VanVleet is healthy again, and Marcus Smart gives Ime Udoka another experienced guard he can use in several different ways. Then you still have Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, and the rest of a young core that should keep improving.

Houston had to adjust big time last year with all of their injuries. Players like Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard had to take on new responsibilities.

Now VanVleet is back in the picture, and players can return to their natural roles and positions.

The Rockets might need time to figure things out, and I don’t expect perfection. That’s why getting these games now matters: there will be awkward possessions, miscommunications, and lineups that don’t work, and October is exactly when you want to find those things out.

Udoka Has Plenty of Options

The rotations might actually be the most interesting part of these two games in my opinion.

We know VanVleet will have a significant role, but I’m curious what happens around him. Does Udoka play Smart alongside him for stretches and lean into a veteran backcourt, or does Smart spend more of his minutes next to Reed Sheppard? How much does Amen handle the ball when VanVleet is on the court, and what does the offense look like when VanVleet sits?

Udoka can go in a lot of directions, and I don’t think he should rush to settle on one. If anything, I’d like to see him get a little weird with some of these combinations during the preseason.

That’s what this time of year is for: you need to experiment with lineups.

Kevin Durant and Amen Thompson — Mar 21, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts to a game-winning basket by guard Amen Thompson (1) against the Miami Heat at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This Trip Is About More Than Basketball

A lot is also happening around the NBA China Games that makes this a completely different experience from a normal preseason road trip.

The NBA and Sands China Ltd. are hosting NBA House and NBA Fan Day, along with youth basketball clinics and a Community Impact Week through NBA Cares and Sands Cares focused on health, wellness and sustainability. The festivities will also include an impressive group of former NBA players and ambassadors, with Ray Allen, Chris Bosh, Jeremy Lin, Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion, Carlos Boozer, Cuttino Mobley, Mitch Richmond, Luis Scola and P.J. Tucker among those expected to take part.

For the Rockets, I think there is real value in simply experiencing all of this together.

Players talk about team chemistry constantly, but it doesn’t suddenly appear because you’ve been through a few weeks of training camp. Houston will spend several days together on the other side of the world, experience Macau, attend events, and have far more time together than they would during a normal preseason week.

That might not sound as important as figuring out who starts or which lineup closes games, but when you’re trying to win a championship, locker-room relationships matter too. There will be difficult stretches during an 82-game season; players will have nights when their minutes change or they don’t get the ball as much as they want, and that’s when a connected group starts to mean something.

The Rockets are going to China to play two preseason games, but they can get a lot more out of this trip than whatever shows up in the box score.

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