Houston Rockets squander double-digit lead late in season opener; 3 takeaways

1. It’s only one game

Although the Houston Rockets would squander a big lead to kick off their 53rd season in action, the Rockets would display more positives than negatives throughout the night.

They came out with a high level of energy.  Pushed the pace on offense. Communicated much better as a unit defensively than they did in exhibition games, as Houston’s starting rotation did a solid job of rotating faster to Milwaukee’s bodies within pick-and-roll switches and help instances than expected.

Yet despite all the progress that was made, there is still more work to be done, as basketball aficionados await to see how the story of the 2019-20 Rockets will unfold in the months and weeks to come.

"“They’re going to be fine,” D’Antoni said to the press when asked about the overall state of his team in the aftermath of defeat. “It’s sad to say, but we’re not going to win 82 games this year. Now we’ve got a chance to win 81.”"

In spite of the fact that most sports talk shows might lead you to believe that the latest Bucks-Rockets showcase was an NBA Finals matchup, Houston’s opening night contest only marks the beginning of a new season.

This is a time of year where teams in their tier can only seek to either build off of their success or learn from their mistakes — either on the practice courts or film room — until the time comes to play live once again.

The Rockets’ first game of the season may give us an inkling of just how good they can be.

Yet it does not fully divulge what is to follow, as it only makes for one chapter in the book of an 82-game grind and what they aspire lasts beyond it.