Houston Rockets point guard Kevin Porter Jr. came into Rockets training camp wanting to be more aggressive on the court this season. Tuesday night’s 25-point performance in the preseason win over the Washington Wizards was just the first step in achieving that goal.
In the postgame press conference, Porter said the aggression was crucial to both his own play and that of his teammates.
They don’t like me passive, at all. They like me aggressive, because it opens up shots for them as well as myself. That’s how I have to play from now on, just keep being aggressive, keep looking for my shot, which is going to open up shots for everyone else.
Porter, 21, gave a small sample size of how his game has evolved from last season in Tuesday’s second half when he shot 5-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-3 on 3-pointers in just under 10 minutes of play.
“I practiced on my shot a lot in the offseason, and I just told myself to trust my technique,” said Porter, who was asked about the work he put in over the summer. “It has to pay off at some point. That helped me with confidence and trust in the work that I put in.”
Watching the way Porter controlled the floor and the tempo of the game Tuesday night is just what the Rockets envisioned he would become once he took over as Houston’s primary ball-handler this season (with veteran point guard John Wall no longer playing).
The Rockets will be back in action on Thursday as they take on the Miami Heat in their second preseason game at Toyota Center.
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