One Area Each Player of the Rockets’ Young Core Needs to Improve On

After the Houston Rockets traded away their franchise player, James Harden, in the middle of the 2021-22 season, they wanted to lean heavily into the youth movement and a full rebuild. The Rockets wanted to gather as many draft picks as possible for the next few seasons following the blockbuster trade that sent Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, and that's exactly what they did.

Over the preceding four seasons, the Rockets would pick in the lottery, drafting six players in the top 20. The Rockets, as expected, struggled from 2021 to 2023, giving most of the playing time to their young draft picks, and they won only 49 games over that period.

It wasn't until the summer of 2023 that the Rockets felt it was time to move beyond the rebuilding phase and start competing for a playoff spot. The Rockets brought in veterans like Dillon Brooks, Fred VanVleet, and Steven Adams alongside their young talent, instantly improving the team.

The Rockets improved by 19 wins in 2023-24, the best in the NBA, and won 52 games the following season, making the playoffs for the first time since 2020. The Rockets were expecting an even bigger season in 2025-26 with the addition of Kevin Durant during the offseason.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, that wouldn't be the case. The Rockets did equal their win total from last season, but injuries and stunted growth from some of their young players led to the same result as last season: a first-round loss, this time in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers, as Durant played only one game the entire series.

One thing was clear after the Rockets' first-round loss: their young core still had a lot of room to improve to take the next step. The Rockets didn't have any of their main vets, as VanVleet hadn't played a game all season, Adams had suffered a season-ending injury in January, and, of course, Durant, whom we spoke about earlier, played only in Game 2.

That leads us to today's topic: which area does each of the Rockets' young core need to improve on to finally get out of the first round next season?

One Area Each of the Rockets’ Young Core Has to Improve On

As I write this on May 8th, it seems the Rockets may run it back with minor changes, as they have a few decisions to make regarding contracts, specifically Tari Eason and whether they will sign him to a new deal.

The Rockets' main young core consists of the aforementioned Eason, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith, and Reed Sheppard. Each has areas they can improve, but we will focus on the most important one for them to elevate their games.

Alperen Sengun

Sengun has been the most successful of the Rockets' young core. Sengun was drafted alongside Jalen Green as part of the Rockets' first lottery picks, and to this date, he is the only one to make the All-Star Game, a feat he has achieved two years in a row.

Sengun had a good season, averaging 20.2 points and 8.9 rebounds. Good numbers, but overall not the type of improvement the Rockets were hoping for. Sengun averaged more points than last season and shot a better overall field goal percentage and 3-point percentage but the Rockets were hoping for a bigger leap this season as Sengun was, no doubt, the second-best player on the team.

With Durant injured, Sengun took on even more responsibility as the Rockets' go-to player in the playoffs, but he was unable to elevate his game enough to get the Rockets into the second round, as his averages dropped across the board.

For Sengun to take the next step in the 2026-27 season, he will have to improve his outside shooting. Yes, we have spoken about this for years when it comes to Sengun, and he did slightly improve last season, but teams are making a point of keeping him out of the paint, dropping multiple players into the lane, and forcing him to score over them.

Sengun doesn't have to be a Karl Anthony Towns from 3-point range; he doesn't even need to shoot a high volume from that area. He can improve his mid-range jumper, which could be just as effective for him. Sengun just needs to be able to draw his defender from the basket, which will help him and the entire team.

Amen Thompson

Thompson has emerged as the next player of the young core who could join Sengun as an All-Star soon. Thompson has increased his scoring and assist numbers every season of his career. He is also already one of the best defenders in the NBA.

However, just like Sengun, Thompson has struggled to score from outside the paint. A fact that every NBA team, especially playoff opponents, and even though Thompson had a good series overall, he is still limited by his lack of outside shooting.

Unlike Sengun, Thompson's 3-point average dropped from last season. Thompson shot only .216 from deep after shooting .275 the previous season.

Thompson can make up for his lack of outside shooting most of the time because of his superior athleticism, but when the game slows down, as in the playoffs, teams can force him into bad shots by putting a bigger player on him, like a center, and clogging the paint.

Just like Sengun, Thompson doesn’t have to become a marksman from 3-point range but needs to at least be more consistent from mid-range. We did see glimpses of a 12-15-foot jumper throughout the season, but he will have to increase the volume from mid-range if he wants to go from a nice young player to a star player.

Jabari Smith

Throughout his young career, Smith has been judged against his fellow 2022 draft classmate Paolo Banchero. Banchero, of course, went first in that draft with Smith going third to the Rockets. Even though Smith hasn't risen to the heights of Banchero in his four seasons, he has been a solid contributor his entire career.

Smith is coming off the best season of his career in 2025-26 as he took on more of an offensive role this season, as he shot a career high 12.6 shots per game. Smith also averaged a career high in points, 3-point percentage, and effective field goal percentage. Smith also played the best overall defense of his career.

For Smith, though, the one area he has to improve on next season is as a ball handler. Teams try to crowd him and make him beat them off the dribble, as that has been the area he has struggled with at times. Smith has gotten better as his career has progressed, but it is still the area that needs the most improvement.

Tari Eason

Eason is the only player on the list who has a chance to be on another team next season, as he is a restricted free agent after the Rockets were unable to reach an agreement with the young forward during the season.

Eason had a very up-and-down season, starting torridly before going through a two-month slump and then bouncing back at the end. For Eason, regardless of which team he is on next season, he will have to improve his ball handling if he is to be known as more than just a 3-and-D player.

Eason has, at times, shown the ability to score in a crowd, as he has the size and strength to fight off defenders, and that is why improved ball-handling skills would also increase his offensive output.

Eason, like Smith, struggles at times when defenders pressure him, especially in a playoff scenario where every possession is played at a high level. Improved ball handling will also help Eason create shots for others, which is the next step in his player development.

Reed Sheppard

Last but not least is Reed Sheppard, a second-year guard from Kentucky. Sheppard saw an increase in both his playing time and production. Sheppard saw the biggest minutes increase of any player this season with the injury to VanVleet.

Despite the improvements, Sheppard still struggles in one area, and that, of course, is on the defensive end of the court. For Sheppard, it isn't about effort; as he plays hard on every play, it is about position and physicality.

Teams make it a point to go at Sheppard on every offensive possession as they feel they can take advantage of the young guard. Sheppard isn’t the biggest guard in the league, and that plays a big part in his defensive issues.

However, the lack of strength shouldn't keep him from being at least an average defender. Sheppard will have to get better at learning players' tendencies and beating them to their spot to make up for any physical limitations. Sheppard can also get stronger as he continues to build his body going into his third season.

Sheppard does need to improve in areas of offense, like getting to the basket and improving his ball handling, but improving on the defensive end is his biggest area of need right now.

No matter who the Rockets bring in via the free agency market or by trade, the young players who will be on the team next season have to take the next step if the Rockets want to finally get out of the first round next season.

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