For three straight seasons, the Houston Rockets have been really, really bad. After jettisoning James Harden and Russell Westrbrook in 2021, the team entered complete rebuild mode. And rebuild they did. With multiple picks in the first round over the last three years, GM Rafael Stone has loaded the team with athletic young talent including Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Jr. and Alperen Sengun. This offseason, he added Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore.
Now, the Rockets admit this is “phase two” of the plan that should include more than just the development of young talent. They expect to see that development translate into wins. To that end, they’ve added veterans and a new coach in Ime Udoka, but this is still a team built around its young core, so let’s take a look to get you ready for the season, which begins on Wednesday.
Jalen Green
The very first building block of the Rockets young talent was Green, a supremely gifted athlete and scorer taken second overall after playing one season for the G League Ignite, a team that has incubated other young NBA talent. Green is still only 21 in his third season in the NBA, but he is already an elite scorer averaging 22 points per game last season. Green has added weight and muscle in the offseason, which he’ll need to stay healthy with his high-flying style of play and propensity for getting into the lane.
Key for Green will be knocking down outside shots and playing defense. Green has said he is fully committed to the defensive demands of his new coach and he certainly has all the athletic tools to be a solid on-the-ball defender. Much will depend on how much the team asks of him offensively. The addition of new veterans and growth of his young teammates will help, but hitting open three’s will make things much easier. He is only a 33 percent career shooter from distance.
Jabari Smith, Jr.
Throughout the offseason and preseason, Smith has been their best player. He dominated the pair of games he played in Summer League and has been outstanding in the four warm up outings so far this month. At only 20-years-old, he is still growing, literally. Smith is actually up to 6-11 after some growth since being drafted. His length not only makes him an excellent defender, but someone who can get his shot over virtually anyone in the league. And his distance shooting appears much improved.
Don’t be surprised if Smith turns out to be the team’s best player this season. His confidence has exploded since late last year and he already seems to be taking a leadership role. His ability to morph the game at both ends of the floor will be of massive importance to the Rockets this year. Smith will need to find consistency with his shot and continue to improve his ability to get to the basket, but eh sky is the limit for this youngster.
Amen Thompson
The third top-five pick in three years, Thompson has a chance to be an impressive get for a team that, like everyone else in the NBA except San Antonio, wished they had drafted first to get phenom Victor Wembanyama. Thompson and his twin brother, Ausar, were drafted back-to-back fourth and fifth, both out of Overtime Elite after spending two years there as teenagers.
Thompson projects as a big point guard with some very slick ball handling and passing skills, but he can play all over the floor. He may be as fast as Green, which is remarkable considering Green’s blazing quickness, and he is already a better defender. The two together promise to make a formidable backcourt of the future. Thompson will need to improve his shooting. He came into the NBA with an awkward shooting style, which he has changed in the offseason with seeming great impact (he was outstanding from distance in the preseason). If he can become even a solid outside shooter, he is going to be an exciting talent.
Alperen Sengun
Despite entering his third season, Sengun is just 21, the product of a European league upbringing where he honed his skills as a teenager, particularly in the post. Like Smith, he’s added an inch of height since being drafted and is now legitimately 6-11 giving the Rockets a pair of near seven footers in the frontcourt.
Sengun plays with a high basketball IQ and has incredible court vision. The Rockets can use him both in the low and high post, similar to Sengun’s idol, Nikola Jokic. His footwork in the low post is some of the best in the NBA and his vision out of the high post makes him deadly as a passer. For Sengun, like many of his fellow Euro brethren, his struggles mostly come on the defensive end. Not as quick or athletic as other bigs, he has to rely on help despite being a sneaky shot blocker. If Sengun can make himself into a decent defender — he has the size and strength if not the athleticism — and improve his outside shooting, he can become one of the league’s best big men.
Tari Eason
Eason will miss the first three weeks of the season with a leg injury, but the lanky LSU product, drafted before last year in the first round with Smith, has the potential to be the best defensive wing man in basketball. Eason is 6-8 but with a massive wingspan and huge hands he uses to contain offensive opponents either on the wing on in the paint. He has also gradually improved his outside shooting, particularly from the corner, making him an intriguing three-and-d option.
Like so many of the young Rockets, Eason is radically athletic. He has the ability to run the floor with long strides and can defend as well as nearly anyone in transition. He will need to continue to improve his shooting and learn to play within the team concept, but he want to be great defensively and he already has all the tools.
Cam Whitmore
Perhaps the biggest steal of the 2023 draft, Whitmore was expected to be drafted in the top 10, perhaps even top five. Instead, he slid to the Rockets at pick 20, a huge get for Houston. Since being drafted, the 19-year-old, 6-7 forward from Villanova has done nothing but impress. He was MVP of the Summer League and has been as dynamic of a scorer as possible throughout the preseason.
Whitmore is a bulldog, often out muscling guys in the lane but still showing a nice touch from distance. He plays with high energy and has quick hands and feet on defense thanks to his exceptional athleticism. Whitmore no doubt thought he would be a lottery pick, helping to lead a team as a young starter. Instead, he will be a key role player on a team loaded with young talent. For him to earn more minutes, he will need to continue to shoot well and be rabid on defense. He will also need to learn how to take good shots, not just any shot that presents itself. He is still maturing, but he might just be in the perfect spot to grow despite the fall in the draft.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
