Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are the Rockets' future, but is it enough?

The Houston Rockets have one of the most promising young cores in the entire NBA. A recent article published by Bleacher Report predicted the top 30 players for the 2030 season. Two Houston Rockets made an appearance on the list: Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson.

Any list like this has to be taken with a grain of salt, but the fact that the Rockets had multiple players on the list speaks to the core this team is building around. Alperen Sengun was ranked 22nd, while Amen Thompson was one spot higher at No. 21.

Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are stars

It is no surprise to see the two young stars rank highly on a list like this. Alperen Sengun is already a two-time All-Star at just 23 years old. Amen Thompson has not made an All-Star team yet, but he has earned First Team All-Defense honors and has made huge leaps in each of his first three seasons.

Encouragingly for Rockets fans, Thompson and Sengun mostly fit well together. Sengun is an offensive hub capable of being the focal point of a team's offense. He still needs to improve his ability to finish through contact and, ideally, his outside shooting, but he is already one of the league's brightest offensive stars.

Thompson is not nearly as refined offensively, but he is truly an elite defender. Although he is not a rim protector, he has an astounding ability to take on nearly any defensive assignment. Even though his offensive game is still a work in progress, he averaged 18.3 points per game last season on above-average efficiency.

Thompson is the future of this team's defense, while Sengun is the future of the offense. If Thompson can continue to develop his offensive game and Sengun can become a capable defender, this duo will be extremely difficult for opposing teams to handle.

Can Houston win a championship with Thompson and Sengun?

Now, Houston has to ask itself whether this will be enough. Bleacher Report's ranking is encouraging, but can two players projected to finish just outside the league's top 20 lead a team to a championship?

Most championship teams are spearheaded by a bona fide MVP candidate. This ranking projects Thompson and Sengun to be very good players, but to fall just short of true superstardom.

Rafael Stone and the rest of the Rockets' front office should focus on doing two things. First, they need to build the perfect roster around these two stars. Sengun and Thompson should be surrounded by shooters, a capable perimeter ball handler, and ideally someone who can protect the rim while playing alongside Sengun.

Secondly, Houston needs to maximize the development of both stars. Thompson and Sengun each possess extremely unique gifts. Sengun's combination of size and playmaking is nearly unprecedented in the league, while Thompson is a breathtaking athlete.

Both players have glaring flaws, but it should be the front office's main objective to ensure they have everything they need to overcome those weaknesses and reach their full potential. If Houston can do those two things, then Thompson and Sengun have enough talent to lead the Rockets to the promised land. 

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