Sunday’s mini-episode features Ben’s reaction to Jabari Smith Jr. breaking his left hand, including potential lineup and rotation implications for players such as Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Cam Whitmore, Jae’Sean Tate, Tari Eason, and Jalen Green.

Happy New Year! With 2025 now here, Friday’s show looks ahead to the games, weeks, and months ahead for Ime Udoka and a much-improved Houston team.

Topics include the importance of carving out a rotation role for Cam Whitmore; the impact of newfound uncertainty surrounding the health of Tari Eason’s left leg; and if or when the Rockets (22-11) will be ready to make a marquee trade this year.

Thanks to another lethargic showing on offense, the Rockets (17-9) lost in the semifinals of the NBA Cup to the Thunder. But on the back of elite defense, they did make it to Las Vegas after finally ending a prolonged losing streak to the Warriors in the quarterfinal.

With the schedule on a brief Cup-related pause, Wednesday’s show explores what we’ve learned about the 2024-25 Rockets with the regular season about a third complete. Discussion topics include why the Rockets’ reality is better than many current perceptions; whether it’s time to make any drastic changes to the offense and the role of struggling veteran Fred VanVleet; and how the upcoming schedule offers a big opportunity as the calendar heads toward 2025.

Tuesday’s episode features a preview of Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinal versus Golden State and reaction to Houston’s 1-2 road trip against the Kings, Warriors, and Clippers.

Topics include matchup difficulties with the Warriors; potential reasons for the up-and-down play of Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun; predictions for the NBA Cup knockout rounds; and why fans of the Rockets should still be quite pleased with a 16-8 start to the 2024-25 season and the team’s current placement at No. 3 in the Western Conference standings.

After 10 wins in 12 games, the Rockets (15-6, 3-0) entered Tuesday just a half-game back of Oklahoma City for first place in the Western Conference. In an unbeaten Thanksgiving week, Houston secured a statement win at Minnesota — clinching its NBA Cup group — before posting an even more impressive victory at home versus the Thunder.

With that in mind, our latest show explores all the associated angles and ripple effects. Discussion topics include the implications of improved play by Fred VanVleet and Jabari Smith Jr.; opportunities for further team improvement, both internally and through external trades; and lessons to be learned when it comes to team building in the modern NBA.

Despite a rough November from Jalen Green, the defensively stout Rockets (12-6) have climbed to No. 3 in the West standings and first place in their NBA Cup group.

Monday’s episode explores how they’ve done it, led by promising signs from Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson; the current levels of concern with Green; and what to watch for as Houston’s schedule gets more difficult, starting with a crucial NBA Cup game at Minnesota on Tuesday

Led by Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Amen Thompson, the improving Rockets (7-4) have won six of their last eight games while moving up to the No. 5 spot in the Western Conference standings. With that in mind, Wednesday’s show breaks down the key on-court takeaways from recent games.

Yet, with the Milwaukee Bucks (3-8) off to a bad start in the East, even bigger possibilities might be on the horizon. With Bill Simmons and others listing Houston as a potential trade suitor for two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ben and Paulo explore what a future mega-deal might look like and scenarios where it would and wouldn’t make sense for the Rockets.

Two weeks into the new 2024-25 NBA season, the Houston Rockets are 4-3 and tied for the No. 4 spot in the Western Conference. In Wednesday's episode, our Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves break down some of the key early storylines. Topics include the increasing importance of Amen Thompson and Tari Eason; inconsistency from Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet; and areas of both concern and opportunity entering the next few games.

After a statement win at Dallas and a nearly historic comeback versus Golden State (which fell short in overtime), the Rockets (3-3) remain stuck on the launch pad as they hover near .500 early in the 2024-25 NBA season.

Prior to Monday’s home game versus New York, this interview segment explores the highs and lows leading to that inconsistency. Voices include The Lager Line’s Ben DuBose and SportsTalk 790’s Chris Gordy and Stan Norfleet.

Topics include promising signs by Tari Eason; potential counters as teams increasingly commit defensive resources to Jalen Green; and reasons for slow starts by Alperen Sengun and Fred VanVleet.

Tuesday’s show is a brief interview between our Ben DuBose and SportsTalk 790’s Stan Norfleet and Chris Gordy. Topics include the reasons for Houston’s 2-2 start to the 2024-25 NBA season, including a scoring binge by Jalen Green; inconsistent play by Alperen Sengun; the healthy return of Steven Adams; and whether occasional rebounding issues for the Rockets are an area of concern.