At the approximate quarter point of the 2022-23 NBA regular season, the Houston Rockets (5-16) have the identical record that they did one year ago. While it’s clearly another rebuilding season, is that relative lack of progress alarming? In Friday’s show, Ben and Paulo discuss what to make of the young team’s uneven play so far.

Discussion topics include:

— Areas of potential improvement for head coach Stephen Silas and the rest of Houston’s leadership;

— An evaluation of guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green;

— Whether adding an established backup point guard in a more traditional mold would help;

— Reasons for the recent upturn in performance by rookie Jabari Smith Jr., and why it should be sustainable;

— Potential rotation changes, such as a need for consolidation and a case for starting KJ Martin over Eric Gordon.