{"id":115640,"date":"2025-01-02T13:24:11","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T18:24:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=115640"},"modified":"2025-01-02T13:24:11","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T18:24:11","slug":"will-rockets-fall-into-same-new-year-trap-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/02\/will-rockets-fall-into-same-new-year-trap-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Will Rockets Fall Into Same New Year Trap In 2025?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Rockets started 2025 by staving off a third consecutive loss with a victory over the depleted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/dal-vs-hou-0022400460\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dallas Mavericks<\/a>. Still, after ending the year with a pair of painful losses, the Rockets enter the new year with absences and some challenging matchups. Last year, January saw the beginning of a slide for them. Can they avoid it this year and improve on what was otherwise a terrifically impressive 2024?<\/p>\n<h2>Will Rockets Fall Into Same New Year Trap In 2025?<\/h2>\n<h3>How The Rockets Started 2024<\/h3>\n<p>The Rockets entered 2024 with a <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/HOU\/2024_games.html#games\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">.500 record<\/a> but went 7-10 in January. That was just the beginning, as they went 3-9 in February. The arrival of March <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/g\/greenja05.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jalen Green<\/a> was enough to power the team back to .500 (and even three games over) again, but there&#8217;s no denying the Rockets dropped the ball to start the year.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jalen Green | Scoring Highlights | March 2024 | Houston Rockets | PLAYER OF THE MONTH\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/dVLw-fNFYAw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>All of that was before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sengual01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alperen Sengun<\/a> went down with a <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/04\/05\/rockets-alperen-sengun-hands-out-injury-progress-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">season-ending injury<\/a> in March as well. Getting to .500 had been a major achievement for a team coming off the post-<a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hardeja01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">James Harden<\/a> title-contention era. Before head coach <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/coaches\/udokaim01c.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ime Udoka\u2019s<\/a> arrival, the team had been scrapping by with season win tallies of 17 (shortened 2020-21 season), 20 (2021-22), and 22 (2022-23). In the new year, they took their foot off the gas. The engine stalled, and they started sliding downhill fast.<\/p>\n<p>On the face of it, the Rockets enter 2025 in a much better position. Their record isn&#8217;t 15-15, for instance. Instead, it&#8217;s 22-11 after their January 1 win. They aren&#8217;t competing for a spot in the play-in, but rather a top-two seed. The actual roster is largely the same besides the still <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/10\/08\/rockets-preseason-game-1-overreactions\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">working-his-way-back-in<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/a\/adamsst01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Steven Adams<\/a> and the currently <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/16\/next-steps-for-reed-sheppard-after-nba-cup-run\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">sliding-down-the-bench<\/a> rookie, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sheppre01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Reed Sheppard<\/a>. But the experience gained from last year has <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/03\/the-rockets-quarter-season-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">paid dividends<\/a> for much of that returning roster.<\/p>\n<h3>Rockets Absences To Start 2025<\/h3>\n<p>Still, there are dangers lurking for the Rockets as they start the new year. One is the availability of key players. Like <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/03\/03\/rockets-promising-defender-tari-eason-out-season\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">this time last year<\/a>, bench terror and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/02\/rockets-eason-no-easing-in-required\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">early-season standout<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/easonta01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tari Eason<\/a> is currently dealing with an injury. Specifically, he just missed his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/e\/easonta01\/gamelog\/2025#pgl_basic\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">seventh straight<\/a> game.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/t\/thompam01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Amen Thompson<\/a>, Eason&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/22\/giannis-the-rockets-have-a-freak-of-their-own\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">partner in crime<\/a>, is also unavailable for the team at present. Fortunately for the Rockets, the reason is not injury-related. Unfortunately for Miami Heat star <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/h\/herroty01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tyler Herro<\/a>, it was for throwing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=np9Ub1LilKU\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jack Harlow muse<\/a> like a surprisingly lightweight bag of cement mix. Herro had the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/30\/tyler-herro-amen-thompson\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">last laugh<\/a> with the score on the jumbotron though, not to mention the players&#8217; respective lines on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/mia-vs-hou-0022400439\/box-score\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">boxscore<\/a>, and Thompson&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/official.nba.com\/nba-announces-penalties-from-heat-rockets-game\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">two-game suspension<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FIGHT BREAKS OUT AT END OF HEAT-ROCKETS \ud83d\ude33\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xjjFhvwdhPY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The Rockets got by without either of their bench terrors against a dinged-up Mavericks squad. They&#8217;ll have to play without at least Thompson again versus the champion <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/game\/bos-vs-hou-0022400471\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Boston Celtics<\/a> on Friday. As for when Eason will play again, it&#8217;s something of a mystery. The team&#8217;s official line is preaching caution. Fans are beginning to project concern.<\/p>\n<h3>January Matchups To Look Out For<\/h3>\n<p>Despite their <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/27\/rockets-injuries-show-depth-at-the-wings\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">significant depth<\/a> on the wing, featuring strong play by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/w\/whitmca01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cam Whitmore<\/a>, the Rockets will need all the manpower they can muster this month. The Celtics aren&#8217;t the only big hitter lurking in the schedule, though they are lurking twice, with the Celtics&#8217; home game in the matchup slated for January 28. The Rockets will also play the Denver Nuggets, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/11\/12\/cleveland-cavaliers-finals\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">league-leading<\/a> Cleveland Cavaliers twice, and the Memphis Grizzlies thrice. The Memphis encounters will have particular relevance in the battle for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nba.com\/standings?Season=2024-25&amp;os=shmmfp%3F&amp;ref=app\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">second seed<\/a> in the West, and Denver isn&#8217;t far behind either.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cam Whitmore (18 points) Highlights vs. Dallas Mavericks l Houston Rockets\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/97hwAIseNyY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word<\/h3>\n<p>The Rockets are in a good spot. January will give them plenty of opportunity to test themselves against the league&#8217;s best. Last year they had a January slump. This year, they&#8217;ll be hoping to keep their momentum right the way through. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/12\/28\/breaking-down-this-rockets-all-star-chances\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">All-Star berths<\/a> and favorable first-round playoff matchups are the tantalizing rewards that may await them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Rockets started 2025 by staving off a third consecutive loss with a victory over the depleted Dallas Mavericks. Still, after ending the year with a pair of painful losses, the Rockets enter the new year with absences and some challenging matchups. Last year, January saw the beginning of a slide for them. Can they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5223,"featured_media":115671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,31,62],"tags":[4293,4703,3256,4475,1896],"class_list":["post-115640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-rockets","category-nba","tag-alperen-sengun","tag-amen-thompson","tag-jalen-green","tag-tari-eason","tag-tyler-herro"],"modified_by":"Kenny Kluska","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5223"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115640"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115640\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":115672,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115640\/revisions\/115672"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}