{
  "id": 14956710,
  "title": "What Preseason Said About Rockets’ New Guard Rotation",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/what-preseason-said-about-rockets-new-guard-rotation",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T12:46:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/preseason-said-rockets-guard-rotation-124626071.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Houston Rockets wrapped up their preseason with a 113-89 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, marking the conclusion of their preseason activities. This season, the team has undergone significant changes in the backcourt. The most notable addition is returning guard Fred VanVleet, who played in two of the three preseason games, showcasing his resilience after recovering from ACL surgery. Despite a less-than-stellar shooting performance, VanVleet contributed significantly with six rebounds, eight assists, and two steals, earning a game-high +15 in plus/minus.\n\nThe Rockets' new backup point guard, Marcus Smart, signed a two-year deal worth $12 million in the offseason. However, Smart's shooting struggles continued in preseason, going 0-for-3 in the Rockets' game against the Thunder. Smart's versatility and passing skills make him an improvement over last season's Josh Okogie, and he is expected to compete for minutes with Reed Sheppard. The Rockets also deepened their guard rotation with the signings of Bogdan Bogdanovic and Bruce Thornton.\n\nBogdanovic, a 34-year-old Serbian, averaged 8.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in three preseason games, shooting 41.2% from three. He demonstrated his experience and resilience, making him a potential primary scorer for the Rockets' backcourt. Thornton, a 23-year-old rookie, struggled in preseason, averaging -3.3 in 12.1 minutes per game. While he shot well, his turnover-to-assist ratio raised concerns. If Thornton doesn't have a clear advantage over Bogdanovic in playmaking, the Rockets may lean towards his NBA experience.",
  "summary": "Because of the Houston Rockets' trip to China this preseason, they wound up playing only three total games. In the last of those on Thursday night, they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 113-89. For Houston, preseason is now over, and the 2026-27 regular season will begin on October 21st. The main overhauls since 2025-26 occurred …",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}