From a statistical standpoint, one of the biggest differences in Houston’s loss in Thursday’s summer league opener and a win by the Rockets on Saturday was the performance of second-year guard Daishen Nix.
In game one against the Magic, Nix registered just 4 points and 4 assists in 19 minutes played, going 1-of-4 from the field (25.0% FG) and 0-of-2 on 3-pointers. But in game two versus the Thunder, Nix had 16 points and a team-high 6 assists in 26 minutes, making 6-of-9 shots from the field (66.7% FG) and 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%).
Nix’s showing versus Oklahoma City brought back memories of his special 2021-22 rookie season in the NBA G League. That’s what the Rockets would love to see at the NBA level in the coming years, and in a mid-game interview during Saturday’s ESPN broadcast, general manager Rafael Stone explained his optimism on Nix. His comments:
We’re really excited about Daishen. He’s kind of an old school, throwback point guard. He pushes pace. He sees the court really well. His basketball IQ is really high, and he’s in this enormous body. I’m excited about Daishen.
Nix and the Rockets will look to build on their summer league momentum in Las Vegas this week, with games set for Monday night versus San Antonio and Thursday night versus Portland (schedule).
Rafael Stone on Daishen Nix: "We're really excited about Daishen. He's kind of an old school, throwback point guard. He pushes pace. He sees the court really well. His basketball IQ is really high, and he's in this enormous body. I'm excited about Daishen."
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) July 10, 2022
