Rockets Season PREVIEW | Can Steven Adams Still Make A HIGH-LEVEL Impact After MAJOR Injury?

Rockets Season PREVIEW | Can Steven Adams Still Make A HIGH-LEVEL Impact After MAJOR Injury?Houston Rockets face a pivotal season as Steven Adams returns from injury—can he reclaim his status as a must-play game-changer? The dynamic between Adams’ bruising paint presence and the guard play of Reed Sheppard could be the key to unlocking Houston’s offense, but lingering questions about his mobility and durability loom large.Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by sports reporter for Chron.com Michael Shapiro (@mshap2) break down the fierce impact of Adams’ rebounding, screen setting, and interior passing, while weighing lineup permutations featuring Alperen Sengun, Fred VanVleet, and Jabari Smith. The conversation dives into Coach Ime Udoka’s expected double-big rotations, the defense’s potential with Marcus Smart and Amen Thompson, and whether Houston’s identity—anchored in historic offensive rebounding—can hold up throughout a grueling Western Conference campaign. Will Adams’ health be the linchpin of the Rockets’ success or their Achilles’ heel?#Rockets #NBA #StevenAdamsFollow Michael and his work https://www.chron.com/author/michael-shapiro-chron/ & https://x.com/mshap2ROCKETS OFFSEASON SURVEY: https://forms.gle/TMK2pZtkR3o4dYXA8📺 Subscribe On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LockedOnRockets📲 Twitter: https://twitter.com/JTGatlin & https://twitter.com/LockedOnRockets📲 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jtgatlin.bsky.social🎧 Follow/Subscribe/Listen:Locked On Rockets Anywhere: https://linktr.ee/LockedOnRocketsLocked On NBA Anywhere: https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBAFor your next listen, check out the Locked On NBA podcast, where the season never ends providing national expertise with a local perspective. Click HERE to listen now. Part of the Locked On Podcast Network. Your Team. Every Day.Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Indeed – Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast.Betterhelp – This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA.Aura Cybersecurity – Start your free trial today at https://aura.com/aware.  Protect yourself now. Square – Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at https://square.com/go/NBA ! #squarepodFanDuel – Make this Your Most Rewarding Season Ever with FanDuel. Get $350 in Bonus Bets — GUARANTEED — when you bet five dollars every day for seven days.  Join all the action at https://FANDUEL.COM FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)#HoustonRockets #Rockets #NBA #KevinDurant #AlperenSengun #AmenThompson #JabariSmithJr #FredVanVleet #TariEason #ReedSheppard #StevenAdams #ClintCapela #MarcusSmart #BogdanBogdanovic #JaeSeanTate #BruceThornton #IsaiahCrawford Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.