Joey Dorsey Recalled to the Rockets
by Scott Schroeder on Jan 12, 2026 8:37 PM EST
in Transactions
9 comments
Just when I was starting to not loathe the big fella, Daryl Morey goes and recalls Joey Dorsey back to the Rockets. Dorsey had been with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers since training camp and averaged an inconsistent 14.9 and 13.3 boards, shooting an impressive 65% from the field and an atrocious 50% from the free-throw line.
As far as they made the decision to bring him back to Houston, Morey told the Houston Chronicle "We're going into a stretch with a lot of strong rebounders, so having another big body could be important for us."
Looking at the schedule, their next three games are at home with Minnesota, Miami and Milwaukee. According to Hoopsdata, Minnesota is 12th in the league in total rebounding rate, followed by Miami at 19 and Milwaukee at 25th, so I read into this a bit further than I probably needed to and decided that he probably isn't calling him up just because they needed a better rebounder, but that they just wanted to see him play.
With the Tracy McGrady situation looming, they're probably deciding if they want to include him in that trade package. That, or they just want to see how well this whole hybrid affiliation is working out.
As an aside, it'll be interesting to see if they decide to assign Jermaine Taylor to the Vipers soon. He hasn't played since January 2nd and with Budinger back and healthy, he isn't really needed.
As a second aside, I made a typo earlier and accidentally typed Drosey, which reminded me of Duke "The Dumpster" Droese. That guy was awesome!
0 recs |
9 comments
| Add comment
|
Email
Print
Comments
In Morey's defense
Kevin Love is 3rd in the league in rebound rate, Andrew Bogut is 19th, Ilyasova is 30th, Al Jefferson is 32nd and Haslem is 33rd.
But, I think you’re absolutely right that this is a “let’s show other teams/see for ourselves what Dorsey can do before the trade deadline” move.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
by Jon L on Jan 12, 2026 8:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
True
But I don’t think they’re going to start Joey or play him considerable minutes, so his rebounding probably wouldn’t make an impact, good rebounders or no.
Also, interesting Ilyasova is that good at rebounding. Never realized that.
by Scott Schroeder on Jan 12, 2026 8:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
On the whole you're right.
Those teams aren’t great at rebounding as teams, they just have a few individual rebounders. Dorsey’s not going to start, certainly, but if they’re really trying to gauge what they have and/or show him off as potential trade bait, I don’t think 5-10 minutes a night is out of the question. For his sake I hope he looks a little more interested than he did at the Showcase.
…which makes me wonder if they make this move if he had looked better at the Showcase, or if this is a way for the team to let him redeem himself a little bit.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
by Jon L on Jan 12, 2026 11:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
And if they do end up keeping him
it’s a way to keep him a little happier than he might’ve been if they called up Mike Harris, who’s not technically a Rocket, one more time.
Ridiculous Upside, where developing talent and winning are not mutually exclusive.
by Jon L on Jan 12, 2026 11:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
In Dorsey's defense, he does look interested in playing every other game
The second game of the Showcase, he looked NBA worthy.
by Scott Schroeder on Jan 12, 2026 11:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I did also admit I probably read too far into it
In my defense.
by Scott Schroeder on Jan 12, 2026 8:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Trade bait or Hayes challenge?
These are all interesting points. I was excited to see that the rockets brought up Dorsey. The MAIN reason is that, in my opinion, he can’t possibly be any worse than Chuck Hayes. Hayes on a good night might score 10 points. He’s 6-6 and only 238 lbs. He has no business being put up against the caliber of teams that the Rockets face now, and especially not in the playoffs. Dorsey is 6-8 and 268 lbs. He may not be the leading scorer….he’s not a Yao or Olajuwon type center, but I do believe it would at least be an upgrade in the center position. I’m not thrilled by any means, but a bigger body that will potentially score Hayes-like numbers is at least some form of improvment. Who knows…maybe the Rckets might win more that 4 tipoffs this season afterall!
by Jcredible on Jan 14, 2026 6:14 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Hayes challenge would make sense
But I think the Rockets like him too much.
I interviewed Daryl Morey for a piece I did about Dorsey on Fanhouse and he did praise everything Dorsey does (rebounds and defensive intensity), but duly noted that the rest of his game isn’t NBA ready. Still, if he can consistently be good at rebounding and plays hard night in and night out, he’s worth at least giving considerable minutes.
I blog at Ridiculous Upside. I know you'll love it.
by Scott Schroeder on Jan 14, 2026 9:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I can't lie and say that I don't like Hayes
I believe that Hayes brings at least a large body to the court, and from what I’ve seen, he’s a solid individual off the court. I watched Dorsey throughout the summer league, and you’re right, not all of his game is NBA ready. Perhaps throwing him in there along with Landry, Bud, and Lowry could give the rockets bench just that much more depth. If he plays well and proves himself (such as Landry has in stellar fashion), perhaps Coach and Mr. Morey will have more faith in him. I do however, like that thought of using Dorsey or Taylor to perhaps sweeten a deal to help move along the McGrady trade for possibly a legit big man with the potential of keeping up with a fast paced offense. I watch every day to see what the rumors of a McGrady trade might be. They’re constantly changing. What are your thoughts of Yao Ming coming back from his injury with the type of offense that Coach Adelman is running? Can they make it work? I’m torn.
by Jcredible on Jan 15, 2026 2:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Join the community and dive in!
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2010 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
