Locked On Rockets - Daily Podcast On ...

The Locked On Rockets Podcast, hosted by Houston native and credentialed media member Jackson Gatlin, is the BEST and ONLY daily (Mon-Fri) Houston Rockets basketball podcast. Every day Jackson shares the latest news, speculation and analysis on Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, the Draft, Free Agency and the rest of the NBA. Previous guests include former Rockets Matt Bullard and Vernon Maxwell, legendary broadcaster Bill Worrell, current players Armoni Brooks, Jae'Sean Tate and more.


Part of the Locked On Podcast Network.

Sports
Basketball
101
How Dillon Brooks COOKED Team USA Leading Canad...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) discusses how Dillon Brooks absolutely COOKED Team USA dropping 39 points on 7/8 from three, leading Canada to the Bronze in FIBA World Cup play, how Dillon's play is turning his haters into fans, the Houston Rockets re-signing Boban Marjanovic and whether or not it's a good or bad move, and betting odds on certain Rockets winning NBA season awards like Alperen Sengun for Most Improved Player or Kevin Porter Jr. for Sixth Man of the Year.
28 min
102
Houston Rockets Courtside Reporter Vanessa Rich...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by Houston Rockets courtside reporter Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) as part of the ongoing media series to discuss her career journey, becoming the Rockets courtside reporter, differences in covering the Rockets and Astros, favorite moments from last season, biggest storylines heading into 2023-2024, predictions for Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr. and more.
35 min
103
Houston Rockets' Dillon Brooks Clamps Mavs' Luk...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Frank (@ftank58) from Rockets Chop Shop to discuss how Dillon Brooks clamped Luka Doncic in Canada's 100-89 win against Slovenia in FIBA World Cup action, how Brooks was teaching his teammates in the huddle to guard Luka, what Canadian head coach Jordi Fernandez and Luka had to say about Dillon's defense, and Cam Whitmore's offseason Q&A with The Athletic.
31 min
104
Who Will Be Houston Rockets MVP, DPOY & MIP? Ja...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) to discuss which Houston Rockets players are most likely to be the team's MVP (Most Valuable Player), DPOY (Defensive Player of the Year), and MIP (Most Improved Player) using voting input from the audience via Twitter and YouTube, as well as their own votes and reasoning for each award. Which categories will Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Jabari Smith Jr. receive votes for, sleeper picks for each award and more.
34 min
105
How Houston Rockets Wing Dillon Brooks Helped P...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Rockets Wire Editor Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) to discuss newly signed Houston Rockets wing Dillon Brooks and his stellar performance for Team Canada in a FIBA World Cup elimination game against top-ranked Spain, dropping 22 points, including three three-pointers and some clutch defense late in the game, how Brooks' Team Canada projects to his fit in Houston, and how Brooks is able to impact winning even when his shot isn't falling. Then, the two discuss Houston Rockets GM Rafael Stone clocking in as the 18th best executive in the NBA using sabermetrics. Should Stone be higher or lower on that list?
36 min
106
Fred VanVleet Deep Dive: Houston Rockets Fit, T...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by Sean Woodley (@Locked On Raptors) for a deep dive on Fred VanVleet, his fit with the Houston Rockets, what makes him such an impactful player, how he became the leader in Toronto, why fans love him, understanding his offensive role with the Raptors, how he is effective on defense despite being undersized, why things ended with Toronto, why he fits well with Houston's young core and more.
36 min
107
Which Houston Rockets Take Biggest Leaps? Jalen...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by Houston Rockets TV PxP Broadcaster Craig Ackerman (@ca_rockets) as part of the ongoing media series to discuss how he got into broadcasting, becoming the voice of the Rockets, biggest storylines heading into the NBA season, expectations for new head coach Ime Udoka, which player(s) are poised to take the biggest leap this season, predictions and more.
40 min
108
Jae'Sean Tate's Role? Amen Thompson's Impact? W...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) tackles Locked On Rockets listener mailbag questions like what is Jae'Sean Tate's role moving forward, expectations and impact of Amen Thompson during his rookie season, what is a successful season for the Houston Rockets, how many wins should the team get, what style of play best suits these players, Mount Rushmore of Rockets players and more.
33 min
109
What Are Goals For Upcoming Houston Rockets Sea...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by Houston Rockets beat writer for the Houston Chronicle Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) for the first episode of a Rockets media series, highlighting the different individuals who cover the team, why and how they got into sports media, stories of interactions with players and coaches, as well as expectations for this upcoming season.
28 min
110
Houston Rockets Coaches Over The Years, Hakeem ...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by Houston Rockets beat writer for the Houston Chronicle Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) for the first episode of a Rockets media series, highlighting the different individuals who cover the team, why and how they got into sports media, stories of interactions with players and coaches, as well as expectations for this upcoming season.
26 min
111
Should Rockets Re-sign Usman Garuba Or TyTy Was...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) discusses whether or not the Houston Rockets should re-sign TyTy Washington and/or Usman Garuba after they were waived by the OKC Thunder, why a different NBA free agent big man might actually make a lot of sense to sign, ESPN's awards predictions that Rockets like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson could be in the running for and more.
29 min
112
Dillon Brooks Deep Dive: Houston Rockets Fit, M...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by DaMichael Cole (@Locked On Grizzlies) for a deep dive on Dillon Brooks, his fit with the Houston Rockets, what makes him such an impactful player, how he became the heart and soul of Memphis, why fans love him, understanding his offensive role with the Grizzlies, why the shot selection is concerning, how he can have a "bigger role" on offense without commanding more shots, are the Grizzlies better off without him and more.
41 min
113
Houston Rockets Schedule Release, Notes & Predi...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) reacts to the Houston Rockets schedule release discussing most exciting matchups, favorable schedules compared to last season, notable games, and predicting how Houston could start 6-4 this upcoming season. Then Jackson discusses the offseason work we've seen from Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun and Tari Eason, what it means to see Jalen & Jabari working out with the NBA's most elite, and the unfortunate news of Jock Landale's FIBA injury, but the slight possible silver lining that might come with it and more.
28 min
114
How Alperen Sengun's Impressive Play For Turkey...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) discusses Alperen Sengun's two most recent FIBA games for Turkey against Bulgaria and Ukraine, how the creativity in Sengun's game and expanded offensive bag can translate back to the Houston Rockets this season, how Alpi can still be an impactful defensive presence despite physical "limitations" with an existing player comparison and more.
33 min
115
Former Rockets Star James Harden Calls 76ers GM...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) reacts to and discusses former Houston Rockets star James Harden publicly calling former Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey a "liar" and how he is refusing to be a part of any organization Morey is involved with, why the Harden/Morey situation got to this point and boiled over in such impressive fashion, how the Rockets dodged a MASSIVE bullet by not bringing Harden back to Houston, and how the 76ers fallout could benefit Houston down the line.
30 min
116
Dillon Brooks Mixed Bag In FIBA Play, Houston R...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Frank (@ftank58) from Rockets Chop Shop to discuss newly signed Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks and his FIBA performance in Canada vs. Germany, concerns over his fit with the Rockets, what an ideal shot profile looks like for him next season, best case and worst case outcomes, an Alperen Sengun rabbit hole and more.
34 min
117
Alperen Sengun DOMINATES With 24 Points In Turk...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) discusses how Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun dominated in Turkey's 87-84 win against Poland in FIBA action with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and assists in 26 minutes OFF THE BENCH. How Sengun was able to spearhead Turkey's comeback in the second half, why he makes his teammates better, ways Turkey uses Sengun defensively and more.
31 min
118
Tari Eason Offseason Q&A On Houston Rockets Sum...
37 min
119
Houston Rockets 24th In Offseason Power Ranking...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost and NBA Draft enthusiast Madison Moore (@MadManLeaks) to discuss the Houston Rockets landing at 24th on ESPN's offseason power rankings, whether they should be higher or lower on the list, what the projections say about their chances to make the playoffs next season, and how the Rockets young core stacks up compared to the young cores of other teams.
41 min
120
NBA Performance Coach Mike Guevara On Working W...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by special guest NBA performance coach and co-owner of GBG Hoops Mike Guevara (@MrDoItMoving) to discuss his journey to the NBA, how NBA performance training works, players that he's worked closely with like Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, working with Jalen Green and Fred VanVleet, the dynamic shared between those two during their workouts, how performance training translates to the court and more.
38 min
121
Why Jalen Green Needs A Leap Next Season, Houst...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Rockets Wire Editor Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) to discuss Jalen Green's offseason work, why and how he needs to make a year three leap next season, Houston Rockets coaching philosophies from assistant coach Ben Sullivan as an extension of head coach Ime Udoka, Jaylen Brown's supermax contract and what it means for pursuing him down the line, but also how the Rockets might face a similar tough decision down the line with their core 6 players and more.
39 min
122
How Houston Rockets Could Pursue Joel Embiid If...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Frank (@ftank58) from Rockets Chop Shop to discuss Ime Udoka's importance in this next phase of the rebuild and the cachet he has with players around the association, how the Houston Rockets could easily be in the mix of teams monitoring the Joel Embiid situation with the Philadelphia 76ers and might be ready sooner rather than later to make a splash by trading for an established star player, and then the two play Rockets Barbies Vs Oppenheimers.
38 min
123
Evaluating Phase 1 Of Houston Rockets Rebuild: ...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Rockets Wire Editor Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) to evaluate phase one of the Houston Rockets rebuilding process, areas of success and failure, how the big picture goals were achieved, important decisions made along the way, is Rafael Stone proven or unproven at this point, Ime Udoka's importance and role moving forward and more.
44 min
124
Ranking Houston Rockets Core 6 Draftees: Jalen ...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) is joined by weekly cohost Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) to discuss how they rank the core six draftees of the Houston Rockets rebuild (Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, and Cam Whitmore) focusing on their ceiling and floor outcomes, what we know about each of the players so far, expectations for how they grow under head coach Ime Udoka, team construction, as well as which two players NEED to pan out for the rebuild to be successful.
42 min
125
Houston Rockets Cam Whitmore Wins NBA Summer Le...
Host Jackson Gatlin (@JTGatlin) discusses Cam Whitmore being named NBA Summer League MVP and how well he showcased his skills after sliding down to the Houston Rockets at pick 20, the difficult decision the Rockets will face in training camp with their wing rotation, Matthew Mayer and Nate Hinton as training camp names to keep an eye on, and Ime Udoka's goals for Jalen Green to take a leap next season.
31 min