3 Key individual stats from Rockets' dominant win over Pelicans

Typically, I've written a "studs and duds" piece after every Houston Rockets preseason game. It's time for a different direction:

There were no duds in their 118-98 win over the Pelicans.

This was a well-rounded performance for the entire team. The Rockets got production from all of their key players, and it would be difficult to identify a player who had a bad individual game.

There's no sense digging deep for negativity that doesn't exist. So, we'll celebrate a dominant win instead. Here are 3 critical individual stats from the Rockets' win over the Pelicans.

1. Jabari Smith Jr.'s assist total

Some may argue that Smith Jr. had a bad game. To be sure, he struggled to score. Smith Jr. went 4/13 from the field, and he missed all five of his three-point attempts.

He still finished with 10 rebounds. More significantly, Smith Jr. dished out five assists. That's a solid mark for a player with his skill set. The Rockets don't typically look to Smith Jr. for playmaking.

What's key here is that Smith Jr. was able to impact the game even without scoring. A handful of deft passes kept him involved in the offense. Smith Jr. may never be one of Houston's featured offensive options, so anything he can do to impact winning besides scoring will help him in the long run.

2. Steven Adams' rebound total

Adams hauled in 11 rebounds in just 15 minutes. We don't need to calculate the per 75 possession stats to understand a simple concept:

That's a lot of rebounds.

In this game, we saw Adams' physicality on full display. The Rockets haven't had that quality at the center position in a while. As immensely talented as Alperen Sengun is, he doesn't possess Adams' sheer physical strength.

Nobody does.

That should make them an effective tandem in 2024-25. Adams' screen setting gets a lot of attention, but his rebounding is special too. We saw that in all of its splendor last night.

3. Fred VanVleet's (lack of) turnovers

VanVleet handed out 9 assists last night. That's great, but what's particularly notable is that he only turned the ball over once.

Some will argue that VanVleet's ball security is partly problematic. VanVleet is indeed a safe passer. He doesn't bend defenses at will by taking risks. That's fine:

He's not supposed to be one of this team's primary creators in the long run anyway.

VanVleet's ball security will make it easier for him to transition into a smaller role as the Rockets' young guards continue to develop. A floor general who can shoot and defend without ever turning the ball over can find a wide range of roles in any NBA rotation.

From that point of view, VanVleet is a true stud.