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Houston Rockets: 3 biggest questions this offseason

By N.B. Lindberg

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 08: From left, Houston's chief of police Art Acevedo, Vanessa Guillen's sister Myra Guillen, The owner of The Post Oak Hotel Tilman Fertitta, Vanessa's sister Lupe Guillen, Vanessa's mother Gloria Guillen, Vanessa's father Rogelio Guillen, and the attorney of Guillen family Natalie Khawam attend a press conference regarding the murder of Vanessa Guillen on December 8, 2020 in Houston, Texas. Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist, was found dead on June 30 after she had been reportedly missing since April 22. Guillen was allegedly killed by fellow soldier Aaron David Robinson inside the Fort Hood military base.(Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 08: From left, Houston's chief of police Art Acevedo, Vanessa Guillen's sister Myra Guillen, The owner of The Post Oak Hotel Tilman Fertitta, Vanessa's sister Lupe Guillen, Vanessa's mother Gloria Guillen, Vanessa's father Rogelio Guillen, and the attorney of Guillen family Natalie Khawam attend a press conference regarding the murder of Vanessa Guillen on December 8, 2020 in Houston, Texas. Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old U.S. Army Specialist, was found dead on June 30 after she had been reportedly missing since April 22. Guillen was allegedly killed by fellow soldier Aaron David Robinson inside the Fort Hood military base.(Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images) /
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Houston Rockets
Kevin Porter Jr. #3 of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images) /

Houston Rockets’ biggest offseason Question #1: Is Kevin Porter Jr. for real?

The single greatest wildcard for the Rockets franchise is Kevin Porter Jr. Depending on his development the Rockets’ upside and timeline will change dramatically. The Rockets’ biggest offseason question is, is Kevin Porter Jr. for real?

There are the eternal optimists that will point to his 50 point masterpiece against the Milwaukee Bucks and proclaim that he is one of the best young players in the league. And then there are the realists, that will point to his poor shooting efficiency and defense.

Porter is both of those things, which is exactly why he remains a massive question mark. He has the ability to be an offensive force but his consistency raises serious concerns about his ultimate upside. Believe it or not, there are a lot of NBA players who can score 50 points in a single game, but there are very few who can give you 20 points each and every night.

Three things going in Porter’s favor are his age, experience level, and a newly unleashed playmaking ability. Porter will be 21 for almost all of next season and while he’s been in the NBA for two seasons he has essentially one full season of games under his belt.

If his two seasons are combined and looked at as one rookie season his outlook improves substantially. A rookie averaging 12.2 points, 3.6 assists, and 3.4 rebounds in 26.3 minutes a game is a great start to a career, even if it won’t win you rookie of the year.

Next. Which NBA Draft prospect is the best fit at no. 2?

If Kevin Porter Jr.’s is for real he could make the Rockets a playoff contender in a season or two. If he’s average, then they’ll have to hope they hit on some draft picks. And if he’s just a wildly inconsistent player then he might be suiting up for a third team in as many years. Kevin Porter Jr. doesn’t control the Rockets’ destiny, but he does control their ceiling.

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