Former Rockets center is off to a stunning start with his new team

As the Houston Rockets have played out their earliest portions of the season, it has become clear that their center combination of Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams and Clint Capela is likely going to be one of their greatest strengths this season.

Yet, it's always a bittersweet moment when a former player excels on another team, and Jock Landale, who departed to the Memphis Grizzlies last offseason after being waived by the Rockets, has done exactly that.

With Zach Edey out for the time being as he recovers from an offseason ankle surgery, Landale has taken over a major role in Memphis, and, although Houston certainly does not regret letting him go in an immediate sense, fans of the team should rightly be surprised at his emergence.

Jock Landale is surprisingly a real offensive contributor for the Grizzlies this season

Landale, who spent the last two seasons in Houston, was never necessarily a major contributor in the NBA, having never averaged more than 15 minutes per game over the course of a single season.

In 2024-25 with the Rockets, he averaged 4.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists, taking on minutes as their third string center behind Sengun and Adams.

Yet, with Adams returning and Capela coming back to Houston through a sign-and-trade, Houston no longer had a need for Landale, and, with Jay Huff departing Memphis in free agency, he had a perfect role carved out for him with the Grizzlies.

However, no one expected him to make the impact he has so far. Through 10 games this season, he has averaged 24.5 minutes per game, posting 11 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists. These are impressive numbers on their own, but what is truly shocking is the fact that Landale is leading his team in shooting from beyond the arc.

So far this season, Landale has made 54.2% of his 3-point attempts on limited volume. On a team that is dangerously bereft of perimeter shooting, Landale has been a revelation in Edey's absence. Not only is he taking on more volume than he has ever before in his career, he is sinking his shots at an unprecedented rate as well.

While it is almost certain that Landale will return to the bench when Edey comes back sometime in the next couple of weeks, his role will likely remain inflated if he is able to continue this level of performance for his new team.