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PODCAST

Rockets LaunchPod

Ben DuBose, longtime Rockets media member, writer, and podcast host, discusses the 2025-26 Rockets season with Paulo Alves and special guests. Basketball topics include the performance of star players such as Kevin Durant, Amen Thompson, and Alperen Sengun; potential transactions in 2025 and beyond; weekly game recaps; and much more.

sports basketball

All Episodes

83:56

Caitlin Cooper on Frank Vogel and Rockets’ coaching...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/04/17

In Monday’s podcast, Indiana Pacers writer Caitlin Cooper shares insight on the strengths and weaknesses of veteran NBA coach Frank Vogel — who appears to be gaining momentum in the 2023 coaching search of the Houston Rockets.Vogel spent 10 seasons as a coach with the Pacers, including six in the lead role, before moving on to the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. It was with the Lakers, of course, where Vogel coached a group with LeBron James and Anthony Davis to the 2020 NBA title.Directed by

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72:56

What Rockets are searching for to replace Stephen Silas

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/04/11

The NBA’s 2022-23 regular season is over for the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets (22-60), and they didn’t wait long to kick off a busy offseason.In an occasionally fiery press conference, general manager Rafael Stone took the podium Monday at Toyota Center and explained Houston’s decision to move on from head coach Stephen Silas after three seasons. As part of Stone’s comments, he also pushed back on criticisms of Houston’s culture and insisted the franchise would be an attractive destination

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95:33

Key storylines to watch as Rockets enter season’s...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/04/04

As the NBA’s 2022-23 regular season enters its final week, the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets (19-60) have long been eliminated from playoff contention. Even so, there are several important storylines to watch as the offseason approaches.With that in mind, Tuesday’s show, sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing, offers a complete preview. Hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves evaluate Houston’s recent form, including positive signs shown by Kevin Porter Jr. and renewed questions

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67:53

Can Rockets change the narrative entering 2023...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/03/24

Led by Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr., the rebuilding Rockets have become much more competitive during the month of March. It comes at a good time, too, since Houston will enter the 2023 offseason with lots of salary cap room and with a clear incentive to win next season.Future Hall of Famers and four-time NBA champions Draymond Green and Klay Thompson of the Warriors are among those taking notice, with both complimenting Smith and fellow Rockets rookie Tari Eason after Golden State’s trip to

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72:45

Key takeaways from Rockets’ March surge

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/03/17

Entering Friday, the Rockets have won two straight games and four of their last seven, overall. That clearly represents at least some progress for a young and rebuilding group that has spent much of the 2022-23 season with the NBA’s worst record.But, there have been some fortunate circumstances to this recent run of form. For example, two wins came versus the Spurs, who are also among the league’s worst teams — and they happened to be resting multiple players in both. Another win came against the

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84:33

March Madness preview from a Rockets draft perspective

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/03/13

French big man Victor Wembanyama and NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson are widely viewed as the top-two prospects entering the 2023 NBA draft. But, who comes next? Enter the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, known best as March Madness.Though the Rockets are currently tied for the fewest wins in the NBA this season, that only brings a 27% chance of obtaining one of the top-two draft selections due to flattened lottery odds. Houston is, however, nearly certain to land a top-seven

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80:00

Why James Harden’s interest is uniquely important to...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/03/03

The young Houston Rockets still own the NBA’s worst record (13-49), and armed with an 11-game losing streak, they’re now on their second double-digit skid of 2023 alone. Yet, one of the league’s best players appears very serious about joining the team this offseason.Friday’s podcast explores the fascinating juxtaposition of the team’s ongoing struggles balanced against a new wave of rumors regarding James Harden as a potential free agent signing in a few months.Hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves

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67:54

Dave Hardisty on Jabari Smith Jr.’s outlook and...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/02/23

Dave Hardisty, founder and owner of ClutchFans, was one of the biggest Jabari Smith Jr. supporters when the Houston Rockets drafted the Auburn product at No. 3 overall in the 2022 NBA draft. At the All-Star break of Smith’s rookie season, is that optimism still warranted?In Thursday’s podcast, Hardisty joins Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves to discuss Smith’s outlook, how he could be better utilized by the coaching staff, and hypothetical decisions that could be made this offseason involving Smith and

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80:16

Rockets in the news: Jabari Smith Jr., Rafael Stone,...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/02/19

Sunday’s podcast features reaction to recent Rockets news stories involving rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr., owner Tilman Fertitta, and general manager Rafael Stone.What on-court factors can Smith’s ongoing shooting slump be attributed to? Hosts Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves explore where the blame should go and why head coach Stephen Silas and lead guards Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green shouldn’t get too much of it.Other discussion topics include Fertitta’s epic “Pray for Victor” rant on local

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67:46

Why Rafael Stone and Tilman Fertitta were trade...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/02/12

The 2022-23 NBA trade deadline came and went, and major changes came with it for the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets.Veteran guard Eric Gordon is finally on his way to a contender (the Los Angeles Clippers), while reserves Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando are out the door, as well (to Atlanta). For general manager Rafael Stone, both deals were made with future draft capital in mind.With that in mind, Sunday’s episode of “The Lager Line” (sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing)

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86:35

Rockets trade deadline preview, Kyrie Irving deal...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/02/06

What will the Houston Rockets do at Thursday’s trade deadline for the 2022-23 NBA season? What should they do? The latest episode of The Lager Line podcast evaluates the plan, as well as all the various considerations for general manager Rafael Stone. Hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, discussion topics include:What Kyrie Irving’s departure from the Nets (by forcing a trade to Dallas) means for Stone and the Rockets, who control Brooklyn’s first-round draft assets through 2027;If Kevin Durant

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60:18

How Alperen Sengun’s higher usage is helping Jalen Green

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/01/24

Since Kevin Porter Jr. went out on Jan. 11 with a left foot injury, the emergence and higher usage of second-year center Alperen Sengun has become a huge storyline for the Rockets.Now, with second-year guard Jalen Green registering two 40+ point games in his last three outings — including a career-high 42 in Monday’s win over Minnesota, which snapped an NBA-worst losing streak — an argument can clearly be made that the change in style is helping to improve the team and prospects around Sengun, as

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75:32

Rockets losing streak takeaways and John Wall reaction

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/01/19

Thursday’s show offers takeaways from Houston’s 12-game losing streak — now the NBA’s longest this season — along with reaction to John Wall’s recent criticisms of the Rockets as an organization.Is Alperen Sengun on the verge of a more featured role? Ben and Paulo break down recent on-court changes before transitioning to the fallout from Wall’s harsh comments and its implications for head coach Stephen Silas and general manager Rafael Stone.

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113:40

Evaluating Rafael Stone as the 2023 trade deadline nears

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/01/13

On the two-year anniversary of Houston’s final James Harden trade agreement, our Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves grade that trade and other key transactions throughout the three-year history of Rockets general manager Rafael Stone.What does the past tell us about the future? With the Feb. 9 trade deadline looming, our show explores the good and bad from the past three seasons. The months ahead could be a defining stretch for Stone’s tenure, as the rebuilding Rockets approach the 2023 trade deadline, NBA

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64:28

New Year’s resolutions for Rockets in second half of...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2023/01/05

With the midpoint of the 2022-23 NBA regular season almost here, the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets remain on a virtually identical pace to last season.What’s gone wrong in this recent stretch of 10 losses in 11 games, and how can they fix it? Thursday’s show explores key themes from the first half of this season and potential changes for the second half.Hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, discussion topics include:Differences in coaching style between Stephen Silas and John Lucas, and the

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91:23

What will 2023 have in store for the Houston Rockets?

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2022/12/29

As the calendar turns to 2023, it’s a pivotal year for the Houston Rockets. They have lots of salary cap room for roster upgrades, and the incentive to lose games for better draft positioning goes away after the 2022-23 season due to future picks owed to Oklahoma City.With that in mind, Thursday’s episode explores the franchise’s looming transition, including the various high and low points of another rebuilding year in 2022 and some early ambitions for 2023.The show also features reaction to James

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77:31

Should Rockets consider a James Harden reunion plan...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2022/12/23

Though the 2023 NBA offseason is many months away, rumors are already swirling of a potential James Harden reunion in Houston. After all, the Rockets are poised to have significant salary cap room, and Harden has the right to become a free agent. But is that the right move for either side? Friday’s show explores the potential motivations for both Harden and the Rockets. With a Rockets-centric panel of Ben DuBose, Paulo Alves, and James Piercey, discussion topics include:Scenarios in which Harden,

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76:44

With NBA trade season here, what should the Rockets do?

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2022/12/15

Thursday is December 15, and each year, that date is the unofficial kickoff to NBA trade season. Specifically, it’s because that’s when most players who signed new contracts during the previous offseason become trade eligible, and it opens up many more trade possibilities, since each team has a much easier path to meeting salary matching rules.So, what does that mean for the Houston Rockets and third-year general manager Rafael Stone? It may not mean too much, since they likely won’t want to

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51:11

Expectations for Houston’s season-long homestand and...

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2022/12/11

With Sunday’s home game versus the Bucks, Houston begins a season-long homestand of seven games. Entering this stretch, the Rockets (7-18) are a respectable 4-5 at home and a woeful 3-13 on the road, punctuated by Thursday’s awful showing at San Antonio.With that in mind, Sunday’s show explores reasons for that home-road discrepancy and much more. Topics include:— The potential role of Jalen Green’s staggering home-road shooting splits;— Whether Kevin Porter Jr.’s inconsistent point guard play, and

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73:08

Evaluating the Rockets at 2022-23 season’s quarter pole

Rockets LaunchPod ·

2022/12/02

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

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203 results

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