Former Celtics guard shines in preseason debut with his new team

JD Davison starred in the Rockets' exhibition opener against Kristaps Porzingis and the Hawks.
Houston Rockets, JD Davison, Boston Celtics.
Houston Rockets, JD Davison, Boston Celtics. | Alex Slitz/GettyImages

JD Davison's growth within the Boston Celtics organization culminated in G League MVP honors and his two-way deal becoming a standard contract. However, as the franchise did what was necessary to gain flexibility, he had to take his talents elsewhere this offseason.

After getting waived, Davison quickly landed on his feet. He signed a two-way deal with the Houston Rockets. That reunited him with Ime Udoka, Boston's bench boss when the former Alabama point guard got drafted in 2022.

In Houston, the three-year veteran is quickly making a favorable impression. "He's been great," Udoka recently told the local media at Rockets training camp. "Very aggressive, handles well, and makes good decisions out of the pick and roll. He's a big body who can pick up full court, so he brings aggression on both sides of the ball. He's taken advantage of the opportunity."

The recently turned 23-year-old is capitalizing on the increased opportunities that stem from Fred VanVleet's unfortunate ACL tear. That injury threatens to sideline the team's starting point guard for the season.

As the organization seeks internal solutions, perhaps Davison could climb the depth chart and earn another standard NBA contract.

JD Davison shines in Rockets' preseason opener

Houston opened its preseason slate with a matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on its home floor at the Toyota Center. The hosts earned a 122-113 victory. Davison logged 22 minutes in the win. That's more than anyone else on the Rockets' bench. It was also more than anyone on the Hawks played.

The six-foot-one guard starred, finishing with 17 points. That was the second-most on Houston behind Alperen Sengun's 19. It was more than anyone on Atlanta scored. Davison knocked down 6/9 field goal attempts. That includes five of the seven shots he hoisted from behind the arc. He also dished out four assists and snagged three rebounds.

On the other side of the matchup, Kristaps Porzingis took his place as the Hawks' new starting center. The former Celtic registered five points on 2/6 shooting. He did not connect on his three attempts from three-point range.

The seven-foot-two center also swiped a steal and had an assist. However, Porzingis also committed five personal fouls in his 15 minutes of floor time. It is worth noting that his playing time was in line with the rest of Atlanta's starting unit. That suggests that his foul trouble probably did not impact his minutes -- or at least not by that much.

While Porzingis will aim for a more impactful encore, Davison continues to build on an impressive start to his tenure with the Rockets.