It took just 2 games for state rivals to give Rockets nightmares

The Houston Rockets have one of the brightest futures in the NBA. They arguably also have the darkest future in Texas, and the Mavericks' Cooper Flagg is proving it.

It sounds contradictory. If the Rockets have one of the brightest futures in the NBA, they must be one of the best Texas teams. You'd think that.

Unfortunately, the depth of NBA talent that currently resides in the Lone Star State is patently absurd. Rockets fans already cringed when the Spurs were lucky enough to draft Victor Wembanyama.

Now, history is repeating itself.

Rockets' interstate rivals have a star on their hands

Did you see Cooper Flagg against the Hornets?

The numbers don't tell the whole story, but they do paint a picture. Flagg had 11 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals in 24 minutes. That's solid, but the eye test tells you what you need to know.

Flagg can shoot threes off the dribble. He's got a smooth handle. His offensive projection in the NBA is impressive. If Flagg can't be a top option for a title contender, he'll be a strong second fiddle.

Additionally, he'll be one of the best defenders in the league.

Now comes the painful part: Do the Rockets have a top-2 offensive option who moonlights as a Defensive Player of the Year candidate? Alperen Sengun fits the former description, and Amen Thompson fits the latter, but neither is likely to man both roles.

Are the Rockets in deep trouble?

Rockets' future remains bright

The sky is not falling.

Yes, Flagg looks like a superstar. The Mavericks still need to put a contender around him. Time will tell how that goes. The Luka Doncic trade remains one of the most head-scratching decisions a general manager has made in the history of the NBA.

On the subject of trades, they won't be easy for Dallas. They're woefully light on draft capital moving forward. One would think they'd look to alleviate that in the Doncic trade, but alas. It's reasonable to say that Dallas failed upward into landing Flagg, and time will tell whether this front office can conventionally succeed.

By contrast, the Rockets have one of the best collections of draft capital in the NBA. In a league that's trending towards parity, it may also be that having a handful of great players supercedes having one outstanding one.

The Rockets should have a healthy fear of Flagg. He looks sensational. That said, Dallas had better keep an eye stateward as well:

And not just on Victor Wembanyama.