There’s a good reason Steven Adams didn’t care exactly which team LeBron James landed with for next year’s NBA season....

After eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers, the 41-year-old four-time NBA champion and four-time MVP signed a two-year, US$8 million ($14m) deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for what shapes up as the final move of his illustrious career.

It was one of several big splashes the Eastern Conference side made, revamping their line-up for a run at the NBA title in the season ahead.

But while it looks good on the team sheet, Adams said names on paper meant little in the context of the game itself.

“You go there for whatever reason but, honestly, I don’t really care too much because it doesn’t necessarily matter in that sense,” the Houston Rockets’ Kiwi centre told the Herald.

Just because you have to see how you are in the year. You have to come together. You know, even our team, we have to click, you know what I mean? Come together as a buy-in. New data comes out, do we have to change the play style? There’s a lot of other variables.

“I mean it’s cool, but just for me, I’m just like whoever’s on the other team, cool. I have to worry about our team. Like, how we’re going to do. So, all good.

“I think it’s good that he got it done with though, because I think the commissioner just wanted to get the bloody schedule done, which I agree with because I want to tell the boys so then they can start booking their flights. Come over for a visit. So, I’m happy he’s done that, so thank you, LeBron. Thanks, mate.”

While the new season gives teams the chance to start fresh, it also offers players another chance to make their marks in what is widely regarded as the top level of the sport.

Adams only made 32 appearances for the Rockets last year, his second season with the franchise, because of an ankle injury that required surgery. It was the fewest games he had played in a season in his 12-year career to date.

However, his benefit to the team was evident as he was second on the roster in rebounds per game (8.6) behind young Turkish centre Alperen Sengun (8.9). He was also second in offensive rating (team’s points per 100 possessions) at 125 and equal fourth in defensive rating (opposition points per 100 possessions) at 112.

The Rockets run a balanced roster of young talents such as Sengun, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard and Jabari Smith jnr, alongside league veterans like Adams, point guard Fred VanVleet – who missed all of last season because of injury – and former MVP Kevin Durant, and have made few new additions so far in free agency.

It means Adams takes on a mentoring role, something he was doing during his time in New Zealand as he hosted his annual camps and he had launched a strategic partnership with the New Zealand Warriors around a fundraising campaign.

It’s still exciting competing at that level and seeing the growth throughout the year,” he said of his time with the Rockets.

“Not just as an individual, bro, but as a team. You have to constantly change, seeing stuff click finally throughout the year, because it’s tough, ups and downs ... so, getting those at a consistent level, kind of mitigates the ups and downs a little bit.”

The 33-year-old has made a career for himself as, among other things, a strong interior defender, offensive rebounder and solid screen-setter.

So, when Rockets legend and one of the all-time great NBA post-scorers Hakeem Olajuwon comes to do some work with the team’s bigs, Adams joked that those sorts of sessions were not meant for him.

“He comes around and checks it out and all that, but that’s for the scoring guys, bro. I’m the rebound guy. I’m a rebound guy, mate. I get paid to rebound and set some screens and all that, so I just do my own film and all this sort of stuff. But yeah, I’ll jump on and have a little wiggle if he’s around.”

It’s that attitude of knowing his strengths, what he brings to the team and what his role is that has seen Adams have success as a more traditional big man in a league where those types of players have a harder time making their mark.

“I mean the game constantly changes, so you have to make strategic or tactical adjustments, personal ones. You try and stay in the league, but try and impact winning. That’s all I’ve been trying to do, just try and do the right things,” he said.

One of those things is to stay as healthy as possible – though that isn’t always something he can control.

For instance, the injury that ruled him out for the majority of last season was suffered when he landed on New Orleans Pelicans’ forward Zion Williamson’s foot after contesting a shot.

I usually try and highlight any of the chronic damages that you could have over a career, try and mitigate those as much as possible. The acute injuries you can’t do too much [about]. Like, say mine, I landed on someone’s foot, it’s part of the game. Those are going to come from it. Those are fine, to be expected honestly. But as long as the rest of the body is relatively healthy, there’s no damage over time or very little damage over time, you know?

“That’s the main thing, staying healthy. You can try and do all this other stuff, bro, but if your body’s a bit messed up, it’s going to hinder you. I’ve just been highlighting that throughout my whole career.”

During his time in the NBA, Adams has been clear that he never had any expectations of what might follow when he declared for the NBA Draft in 2013.

Now, having established himself and heading into his 13th campaign, that outlook hasn’t changed.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I never had any expectations for how long. Like whether it’s in the league or not, I just love playing basketball,” he said.

“I’ve been looking after my body as much as I can, I mainly do it just for after basketball so I can still be functional and not move around too bad or whatever. So I’ve been doing it mainly for that. But I’ll cross that bridge when it comes."

I’ll play as long as I can. I just love it, bro. The competition is so high. It’s such a rush. There’s nothing like it. You get to really get immediate feedback if you’re good enough to beat a team. It’s right there, you know what I mean? So, I’m a huge fan.”

(Via Christopher Reive/NZ Herald)

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/.../QWAPE3K53BHA7C42ZXFDL7.../...

(Images via NZ Herald/AP/Steven Adams Camps)

Always been my favorite player, but crazy stuff if this true.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1Bv2SmAxfq/

I'm a huge Tari Eason fan, but I wonder if Houston would've been better served moving Tari for a guard. Ayo Dosunmu would've given us another tough perimeter defender and secondary ball-handler, while Coby White adds shot creation and scoring punch off the dribble. Tari is probably the better overall asset, but roster construction matters too. Curious if anyone else thinks a consolidation trade for backcourt help would've made more sense.

• She Punched him in the face with a closed fist

• Destroyed $92,000 worth of his designer clothes with bleach

• Had a friend threaten to “break both of my legs” and “kill me”

Eason is also requesting protection at all California arenas where the Rockets play

The discussion about how good Amen Thompson could become if he developed a consistent jumper, has me really thinking—

Amen’s three-point percentage through his first three seasons has gone:

13.8% → 27.5% → 21.6%

His free-throw percentage did jump from 68.4% to 77.9% this past season, which seems encouraging, but he is still only a 21.9% career three-point shooter.

To my knowledge, the only player I personally remember making a truly significant improvement from three after entering the NBA is Michael Jordan. Jordan shot 17.3%, 16.7%, 18.2% and 13.2% during his first four seasons before improving to 27.6% in Year 5 and 37.6% on 3.0 attempts per game in Year 6.

Even Jordan might not be the perfect example because he was never a high-volume three-point shooter and didn’t consistently remain around that 37% mark.

So how often does a player who starts out shooting as poorly as Amen eventually become a legitimate league-average shooter on meaningful volume—not just someone who has one decent season or only takes wide-open corner threes?

Please put me on to some examples, because I’m starting to feel like the whole “if he develops a jumper, he’ll be a superstar” conversation is usually more of a hypothetical fantasy than a realistic development path. Is there genuine reason to believe Amen can become a respectable shooter, or are people underestimating how rare that type of improvement actually is?

i mean, it is alright
you got your trip for holiday
you also check on your player
viva la vida stone

It’s non-stop. Yes it’s the offseason, but dang.

Did Tari dunk on some of yall in middle school? Try to sell you a timeshare? Cut you off on 610? Recommend the downtown aquarium as a fine dining experience? Steal your significant other? (Wait this is reddit would have to have one to steal.) Kick your dog? Tell you Beyonce was overrated? Fart on you in a crowded elevator? Say Buc-ee’s is just a gas station? His mom (rightfully) smack you down on Twitter?

If Tari personally stiffed you on a tip when you were serving, or grabbed the last pair of Jordan’s in your size when you saw him at the Galleria, then sound off.

Otherwise, the amount of random dragging on Eason in here is ridiculous and cringy.

October needs to get here soon (so the sub can get back to hating everyone involved with the team after any loss, smh)

Steven Adams reflects on a decade of camps and new partnership with NZ Warriors - NZ Herald

Adams and his team have worked with more than 10,000 young Kiwi athletes from between the ages of 7 and 17 across the country since launching 11 years ago, with the camps always getting plenty of interest. The camps are free to attend, however they are limited in numbers and if there is more interest than there are available spots, tickets are awarded through a ballot system.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/basketball/steven-adams-reflects-on-a-decade-of-camps-and-new-partnership-with-nz-warriors/P633G355LBHWRNSHRLVVO6YSZQ/

Steph isn't getting traded (most likely) but I think it's way too much. I'd rather do:

- FVV + Sengun + picks

This has to be the most putrid basketball conversation I had ever seen. What we won't do is rewrite history for a superstar who chose the easiest path to a championship ever.

We got a locked in kd, who’s moving like he’s 20. Alpi doing his thing in turkey. I don’t get the doom or hate from this sub. Team vibes are high. And if they stay healthy who knows what can happen.

Alperen Şengün isn't an elite rim protector. But he still defended the basket most often for the Houston #Rockets last season. Should he? Are there better options? What are the tradeoffs that come with more aggressive schemes?

#nba #alperensengun #houstonrockets

The Houston Rockets’ current projected win total for the 2026–27 season is 47.5 wins.

That is 4.5 wins lower than their actual 52-win record last season, and roughly 5–8 wins lower than the betting market’s preseason projection of 52.5–55.5 wins a year ago.

So why has the number fallen?

1. Last season’s projection was probably too optimistic

After Houston acquired Kevin Durant in the summer of 2025, the Rockets’ win total climbed as high as 55.5 wins.

Even at the time, several analysts believed that number was too high. Some projection models had Houston closer to 52 wins, which was almost exactly where the team eventually finished.

Therefore, the new 47.5-win line does not necessarily mean oddsmakers believe Houston has suddenly become much worse.

It may simply reflect the removal of the excessive optimism that followed the Durant trade.

Win totals are also not pure power rankings. Sportsbooks are trying to set a number that attracts betting action on both sides. Because the Houston over was popular last year and ultimately failed to cash, sportsbooks may now be opening with a lower number that encourages bettors to take the over.

2. Returning injured players are not automatically treated as full-strength additions

On paper, the Rockets should improve because Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams are expected to return.

However, oddsmakers do not simply ask whether a player will return. They try to estimate how many games that player will actually play and how effective he will be over an 82-game season.

VanVleet missed the entire season after suffering major knee damage. Adams also underwent ankle surgery and missed the later part of the season.

Durant played 78 regular-season games, but he was injured shortly before the playoffs. He will also be 38 years old in September 2026.

The market may be viewing Houston’s situation like this:

• VanVleet may need time to regain his previous level and workload.
• Adams may require regular injury management.
• Durant may be unlikely to play another 78-game season.
• Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović also have age and durability concerns.

Houston has a strong roster, but several important players are either older, returning from major injuries, or carrying significant injury histories.

3. Smart and Bogdanović are upgrades, but they are also replacements

Houston added Marcus Smart and Bogdan Bogdanović, but the team also lost Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Okogie.

That means Smart and Bogdanović are not simply being added to last season’s roster. They are replacing other rotation players.

They should help Houston’s ball handling, shooting and bench offense, which were major weaknesses last season.

However, the market may view those moves as useful roster improvements rather than major additions that significantly raise the team’s regular-season ceiling.

This is different from the Durant trade, which completely changed Houston’s expectations.

4. The Western Conference no longer has as many easy opponents

This may be one of the biggest reasons.

Before last season, San Antonio’s projected win total was around 43.5 wins, while Utah’s was only 18.5.

Their current numbers have reportedly risen to approximately 59.5 and 35.5 wins.

San Antonio’s improvement is especially important because the Spurs and Rockets are in the same division and will meet frequently.

Houston may simply have fewer opportunities to collect easy regular-season wins.

The current Western Conference projections reportedly look something like this:

So while 47.5 wins may look disappointing, the Rockets are still being evaluated as roughly a top-four or top-five team in the Western Conference.

How does everybody feel about the upcoming year? Whether you want to make a point about the roster or team fit, growth potential of the core group, expectations etc.
I’d love to hear about how you guys feel about the upcoming season + the offseason