Now that the Rockets will have to watch the postseason like the other teams that didn't make the NBA postseason, it's a good time to look back and give some grades to this young, talented team.
First up, the starters.
Fred VanVleet
Grade: A
VanVleet was the Rockets' most important offseason acquisition. The veteran point was signed to provide stability and veteran leadership at the point guard spot and that is exactly what the Rockets got. When he missed time with minor injuries, particularly early in the season, this was not the same team. His ability to be the floor general and run coach Ime Udoka's playbook was invaluable for a team that, up until this year, largely freelanced on offense.
While his scoring was down slightly, he had career highs in field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage and assists. He also shot a solid 38 percent from three and, as usual, was near the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ration. Defensively, he was outstanding as a tough, hard nosed defender. All in all, he was exactly what the Rockets hoped for when they signed him last summer.
Jalen Green became one of the league's best young players in the second half of the season.
Photo by Sean Thomas
Grade: B+
If we were only grading beginning in late February, Green would rate an A+. On the other hand, if we were grading him prior to that, he'd probably be closer to a D. No one struggled to adapt to Udoka's new system like Green, but no one seemed to thrive quite like he did once he got it figured out. He was arguably the best player in the league in March and finished the season incredibly strong, weaving his way through offenses and, critically, making the right decisions, something that eluded him early in the year.
More importantly, he began to grow into a more complete player setting a career mark in rebounds and improved dramatically on the defensive end of the floor. In fact, he ranked in the top 10 in defending isolations and routinely found himself in the right spot defensively. He has surged in the second half of the year in both of his previous seasons, but this felt different. If the Rockets can get the second half Green next season, they will make another considerable leap.
Dillon Brooks
Grade: B
When Udoka was hired to coach the Rockets, it was clear that toughness and accountability were going to be high on the list of requirements from his players. We saw that early in the season when he was not afraid to bench pretty much anyone. With Brooks, Udoka got an enforcer who has always led with toughness and gave the Rockets and edge they didn't have prior to his arrival.
While Brooks began the season hot, he cooled off substantially as the year wore on and younger players began to eat into his time on the floor. But he set a career mark for effective field goal percentage and really was the defensive heart of the team. He admitted at the end of the season that he was a little more passive than in years past because of how he was often judged by officials, but you wouldn't know it from watching him play.
Jabari Smith, Jr., at just 20 years old, showed marked growth throughout the year.
Photo by Sean Thomas
Grade: B
The second year forward saw incremental improvement in his numbers across the board including points (13), rebounds (8), field goal percentage (45 percent) and free throw percentage (81 percent). He also continues to be a very tough defender who can switch onto just about anyone. And it didn't hurt that he was healthy, missing just six games. But Smith suffered a bit from, frankly, being 20. He is still incredibly young, even compared to some of his fellow youngsters on the team.
Additionally, it took him time to find his rhythm on the floor with a more ball dominant Alperen Sengun, who became a focal point of the offense. Smith still needs to improve his shooting stroke, which was one of his best traits coming out of college, but he has all the tools. If he can make improvements in year three, he can be an incredibly valuable young talent for this squad.
Alperen Sengun
Grade: A
He barely missed being an All Star and was completely deserving. The Turkish big man who plays about a half gear slower than most people on the floor not only blew up offensively averaging 21 points and 9 rebounds per game, but also 5 assists as he quickly became a de facto playmaker from the high post a la Denver's Nikola Jokić. He made some incredible passes and dazzled fans with his post moves and footwork. He is a budding star as an undersized center.
Unfortunately, he missed 19 games with a late-season injury that fortunately looked much worse than it actually was. Had the team made the postseason, it's likely he would have returned. For now, he'll be ready for training camp, hopefully with some improvement on his three-point and free throw percentages. But, besides those tiny nitpicks, the future is very bright for Sengun.
