1 Burning question about every member of the Houston Rockets' "core six"

The Houston Rockets have nearly wrapped up their 2023-24 NBA season. At this point, they're playing with house money. The goal was to improve this year, and the Rockets have accomplished that goal.

For years now, this team has had a long-term outlook. That hasn't changed. If this iteration of the Rockets turns into a serious title contender, it won't be Fred VanVleet who carries them to glory.

It will be one of the Rockets' "core six". At this point, no clear franchise player has emerged for the Rockets. Yet, this team's potential is overwhelming. Their six recent first-round picks all have tremendous potential.

Here's one burning question about each of them.

Jalen Green

Can he be consistent?

You know how this goes. Green was wildly disappointing throughout most of his third NBA season. Sure, young guards tend to struggle with efficiency. The ones that end up being stars don't typically struggle this badly.

Then, like a supernova, Green exploded. He averaged 27.7 points per game on 61.3 True Shooting % (TS%) through March. If those numbers had held through the season, the Rockets would solely focus on building around Green.

That's an unreasonable bar. Green can't be expected to maintain that pace throughout an entire year. By contrast, he should be expected to hover around 36% from deep and finish consistently inside.

If he can't, the Rockets will eventually have to start disregarding his post-All-Star break explosions.

Alperen Sengun

Is he a defensive liability?

For some fans, questions about Sengun's defense have already been answered. The Rockets' 112.6 Defensive Rating ranks 10th in the NBA, and Sengun was their starting big man for most of the season. We're done here, right?

Not so fast. Ime Udoka is a defensive mastermind. He designed a scheme that had Sengun hedging and recovering where he's spent most of his NBA career in drop coverage. For the most part, it worked.

Use your eyes. Sengun still looks like someone who can easily be exploited by downhill guards. There was a temptation to ask about this three-point shot, but that feels like a secondary concern. Sengun is already a star-caliber offensive player.

Can he star on both ends of the floor?

Amen Thompson

What position does he play?

When Sengun got injured in early March, it changed the makeup of this team dramatically. It forced Jabari Smith Jr. into the 5 spot, and it forced Amen Thompson into the starting lineup - as a 4.

Thompson was drafted to run point. It was well understood that his jump shot was a work in progress and that his handle needed some tightening. Now, he's done so well in the forward role that one wonders how much work he even needs in those areas.

To unlock his ceiling, Thompson needs to develop his guard skills. Still, it's encouraging to know that he's got a future as a defensive wing if his shot and handle don't come around.

Jabari Smith Jr.

What is his offensive role?

As a rookie, the questions about Smith Jr. were more pressing. We were asking questions like "Is Smith Jr. going to be in an NBA rotation in five years?".

As a sophomore, he's radically improved. Smith Jr. bumped his three-point percentage from a dreadful 30.7% to 36.4%. When you're 6'11" and you can knock down triples at that rate, you're going to find your way in the NBA.

How much more can Smith Jr. offer? At times, we see the potential for him to create for himself in the mid to high post area. Will that be a reliable enough weapon for the Rockets to use regularly? Is Smith Jr. Channing Frye, Rashard Lewis, or LaMarcus Aldridge?

Tari Eason

Are there health concerns?

in 2022-23, Tari Eason ranked fifth in the NBA with a 0.5% steal percentage. He led all wings with a 12.0 Offensive Rebound %. If there's an extra possession to be had, Eason is going to find it.

He can't do that if he isn't on the floor. We're using last year's stats for a reason: Eason missed most of 2023-24. Is this going to be an ongoing issue?

Here's hoping not. Eason had a benign growth on the inside of his tibia bone this year. We're not doctors here at Space City Scoop:

We can only hope the issue is resolved heading into 2024-25.

Cam Whitmore

Can he pass?

0.7.

That's how many assists Cam Whitmore averaged per 75 possessions this year. Per 75 is typically seen as the best-adjusted measure of basic counting stats, because that's how many possessions an NBA starter has in a game on average.

In other words, if Whitmore had started this year, he'd have gotten an assist...in most games. Not every game, mind you, but usually!

That's not enough. Whitmore doesn't need to be a passing wizard - the Rockets have Sengun and Thompson for that. Still, if he wants to be anything more than a sixth man in his NBA career, he'll have to learn to make basic reads and extra passes.

Until then, we've got questions.