Rockets' early Christmas present is something they've wanted for ages

The Houston Rockets haven't played on Christmas Day since 2019. That will change this year, as the Rockets are scheduled to square off with the Lakers.

NBA fans know that a Christmas Day game is a big deal. The league showcases its best and brightest on the annual holiday. So, the Rockets should take this as a nod. The league is acknowledging their arrival:

But they should have a challenge in front of them.

Rockets face stiff Christmas competition

If you've been living under a rock, the Lakers have Luka Doncic on their roster.

The trade was heard around the world. After adding Doncic, the Lakers have had a busy summer. The team added Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Jake LaRavia during the offseason. None of those are blockbuster additions, but each could be significant.

Smart has struggled with his shooting and health, but if the Lakers can get the best of him, he's a dogged perimeter defender who can insulate Doncic on that end. Ayton suffers from low effort and isn't as impactful as you'd like for a former number one pick. Still, he's a massive body who can run the pick-and-roll with Doncic and LeBron James. LaRavia is a 6'8" combo big who hit 42.3% of his threes in 2024-25.

Those are solid pieces to pair with Doncic, James, and Austin Reaves. The Lakers are a talented team.

Will the Rockets beat them on Christmas Day?

Rockets will be expected to win on Christmas

That's enough talk about the Lakers. Let's talk about the Rockets.

Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks are out. Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela are in. The Rockets won 52 games last year, and they got substantially better.

They're a much deeper team than the Lakers. Now, let's talk about those Lakers additions again. If you assume a best-case scenario, they're great additions. What about a worst-case scenario?

The Lakers will be lucky if Smart can stay on the floor, and even if he can, they'll be lucky if he can hit a third of his triples. Smart's defense isn't precisely what it used to be either. Meanwhile, Ayton's low effort has been a chronic issue. LaRavia is solid, but he doesn't move the needle like Houston's additions.

In short, the Rockets have the better team. The Lakers will be formidable in 2025-26, but Houston should expect to gift their fans a win during the season of giving:

It's something they've wanted for a long time.