Sixers-Rockets preview: Get to know one of the NBA’s best young teams

The Sixers are back in action on their home court Wednesday night, hosting a young and exciting Houston Rockets team on the second leg of a road back-to-back. Joel Embiid, Paul George and Kyle Lowry will all be in street clothes for a Sixers team that continues to play while undermanned.

Here to keep us updated on all things Rockets Armin Khansariwho writes for The dream shaker. Let’s talk to Armin:

AA: One of my favorite NBA players to watch this season has been Tari Eason, who is becoming a game-wrecker for the Rockets. Eason has always posted exciting numbers, but he really looks to put it all together in his third NBA season. What has made his breakout season possible in 2024-25?

Armin Khansari: The most important thing must be health. Eason played in all 82 games as a rookie, so there were obviously high hopes last season that he would make a jump. After all, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka’s defensive scheme seemed tailor-made for Eason. Unfortunately, he dealt with a shin problem that eventually required surgery and limited him to just 22 games. And while the stats didn’t look terrible last season, it was clear he was playing well below 100 percent.

That’s not the case this season, as Eason has begun to gain recognition on the national stage for his tenacity and defense. Along with Amen Thompson (they’ve been dubbed the “Terror Twins,” but I’m not sure I love the nickname), he’s made life miserable for opposing guards and wings. Several of Houston’s wins this season have come thanks to the bench, and Eason is arguably the leader of that unit. The next step for him is to improve his 3-point shooting. He’s a career 34.6 percent shooter from deep, which certainly isn’t terrible by any means, but if he wants to break into the upper echelon of 3-and-D players, it needs to improve.

AA: Sixers forward KJ Martin got his start in Houston, spending the first three years of his career rebuilding Rockets teams. What do you remember about Martin’s seasons in Houston when he got his feet wet in the NBA?

AC: It must be the ridiculous amount of athleticism. There are few players in the NBA more gifted in the air than Martin, and his inclusion in the dunk contest a few years back was well-deserved.

Martin was a little unlucky to have been on a Houston team that was in transition. That Rockets team only had James Harden for a few weeks before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and also worked with a new coach in Stephen Silas. However, Houston was not fully committed to the idea yet. Instead, they tried to ride Christian Wood, Victor Oladipo and John Wall into relevance (yes, I can hear your laughter from here). So there was a bit of a missing connection there early in Martin’s career. I think he could have played really well as a pick-and-roll option with Harden, but it wasn’t to be.

Eventually, Martin played more consistent minutes with Houston, starting 49 games in his third season. At the time, the Rockets were looking for core pieces moving forward, and Martin just didn’t fit the bill. There were some whispers that his father believed he could produce more on another team, though it’s hard to tell how much of that was the talent around Martin and how much of that was the system of the former Rockers- head coach Stephen Silas, who has been pretty thoroughly proven to be … let’s just say “bad.” I don’t think there are any hard feelings toward Martin from Rockets fans. Most people probably want to see him play well in every game he doesn’t play against Houston.

MORE: Martin talks NBA upbringing, first full season with Sixers

AA: Due to their abundance of talented young players, treasure trove of draft picks and obvious desire to compete, many have identified the Rockets as a team that could eventually make an “all-in” trade for a high-profile player. Stop this sentence: If the Rockets consolidate their young core to trade for an established star, the one player they absolutely cannot include in the deal is…

AC: The Alpine Şengün. I think if you asked Rockets fans, the votes would be split ShengünEason and Thompson, probably from highest to lowest. For my money, there aren’t many players who can produce at that level Shengün can at the center position, and most who can won’t be on the trade block right now.

Shengün can also play with any kind of lineup thanks to his vision and recently improved defense. In the past years it knocked him was that he could anchor an offense, but he would give it all back on the defensive side of the ball. And in fact he started this season rather poorly at both ends and was benched in a defeat to Spurs where he looked lethargic. It’s been all uphill since then, and he’s up to third in defensive win shares and contested shots at the rim at a much higher rate than last season. No one expects him to win Defensive Player of the Year or ever lead the league in blocks, but it’s nice to see a player get a big contract extension and then show significant improvement in one of their areas of deficiency. His three-point shooting could become a weapon if he can improve it to league average, but for now, he’s Houston’s best player and only 22 years old.

MORE: Can the Sixers keep their 2025 first-round pick?

More Sixers-Rockets information

• Date/time: 27 November at 19:00 EST

• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia

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