The Houston Rockets lost to the Atlanta Hawks 83-78, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t things to be happy about from many players’ first NBA showing. Defense is still a concern, and it what ultimately lost the game for Houston, but several players gave fans something to be excited about.
Sam Dekker looked versatile and healthy, scoring 18 points while shooting 6-9 from the floor and 2-4 from the three point line. KJ McDaniels filled the stat sheet with 15 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. The undrafted rookies looked promising as well, Kyle Wiltjer with 13 points and Gary Payton II with 5 assists at point guard.