Kicking off the new season with our player previews.
NBA Training Camp is about to start, and with that, so is our yearly Player Preview series.
Nate Williams
One of Houston’s two-way contracts, Williams (who also goes by Jeenathan) is a 25-year-old swingman who the Rockets will mostly keep in Rio Grand Valley. The 6’5” Williams played in 22 games last season for the Rockets, averaging just 5.9 minutes per game. In his only real extended playing time, Williams put up 13 points in a season-ending win against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Rockets like Williams, but this is a clogged roster and we’re not likely to see much Williams unless there are injuries.
Nate Hinton
Hinton is another 6’5”s, 25-year-old wingman who is with the Rockets on an Exhibit 10 deal, which is a minimum salary agreement. The Rockets like Hinton too, but much like Williams, if Hinton is getting playing time with varsity, something has gone wrong with Houston from an injury perspective. Hinton played in 15 games, and 10 points was his highest total from the season, so he’s another Rio Grande Valley guy, but will be waiting in the wings if someone goes down or the roster clog lessens due to trade.
Jermaine Samuels
Samuels is a two-way contract for the Rockets, and 6’7” forward fits right into this group as a 25-year-old who is not likely to receive much in the way of paying time with the varsity. He played in 14 contests last year for the Rockets, but his contributions were miniscule, with just a 1.4 points per game average. It’s worth mentioning that one or more of these guys might not end up with the Rockets by camp’s end, as Houston also requires space for newcoming youngsters Jack McVeigh and N’Faly Dante, but the Rockets like the athleticism of all three, and I’d expect at least two of them to remain in the system.