Former NBA exec makes outrageous statement about the Rockets

The Houston Rockets' wing rotation is the pride of their team.

Kevin Durant. Amen Thompson. Tari Eason. Jabari Smith Jr. Dorian Finney-Smith. Even Jae'Sean Tate is pretty appealing when you consider that he's roughly this team's tenth man.

The Rockets aren't perfect. They could use some backcourt depth. The team is a bit light on ball-handling. Still, one can't rightly criticize their wing rotation.

Unless one was living in an alternate universe. In that case, one could believe anything about the Rockets. If one was not tethered to reality, they could justify any belief.

That seems to be the case for former NBA executive John Hollinger. He wasn't just critical of the Rockets' wing rotation on the latest episode of Zach Lowe's podcast:

He questioned its very existence.

Former NBA exec has puzzling remarks about Rockets

"There are no real wings on this team"

-John Hollinger on the Rockets

Sorry?

Hollinger tried to salvage his comments when Lowe pointed out that it was flawed. He said he couldn't consider any of the aforementioned players to be wings. He'd consider them all 4s.

Does he have a point?

Rockets have an elite wing rotation

No!

No, no, and no. Here's another word: No.

In 2025, the 4 is a wing-heavy position. Alternatively, some teams play an extra 5 at the 4. That's an option the Rockets have as well, but I digress.

The point is that Hollinger's grasp on positional designations in 2025 feels tenuous. The distinction between a 4 and a 3 is a small one. The Rockets have a ton of wings - they just mostly have big wings.

Perhaps Jabari Smith Jr. is a combo wing/big. Thompson is a combo wing/guard. Otherwise, Durant, Eason, and Finney-Smith would all be classified as wings by any measure. If they're all wings who primarily play the 4, that's a non-issue: because players that play the 4 can play the 3. Each of these guys can play the 3: Full stop.

Perhaps there's a valid criticism of the team. The Rockets could miss Dillon Brooks' point-of-attack defense in 2025. They'll have to rely more on zone defense than they did in 2024-25. They'll also need to use their excessive length to muck up passing lanes and create chaos. The Rockets will also rely on switching more than they did last season

Sounds like...a wing-heavy strategy.

If this piece comes across as harsh...it is. It's just frustrating to hear a former NBA executive pontificate with such outlandish statements. The Rockets don't just have a surplus of wings:

They've got one of the best wing collections in the NBA.