4 Houston Rockets with most on the line in pivotal 2023-24 season

The Houston Rockets want to contend this season. They've made that clear.

They're tired of being doormats in the Western Conference and want to experience the taste of postseason play again. They've talked about it ad nauseam.

They've even coined it phase two of their rebuild. Phase one was about tanking and stockpiling draft picks.

But the credit card bill is due from the Russell Westbrook trade and the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to collect. The Rockets hired Ime Udoka, a Gregg Popovich disciple, and paid him more than any coach in franchise history.

This made it clear what they were expecting.

In Udoka, the Rockets landed someone who will hold the players accountable. No longer will it be okay to give half effort on defense.

Udoka isn't going to tolerate that. This means the players will have to prove themselves to the new sheriff.

4 Rockets players with the most to prove next season.

Nothing will be given, as none of the current players have played for/under Udoka. Starting positions will be earned.

Rotational minutes will be earned.

With this understanding, several players will enter training camp with a ton to prove. And some more than others.

Let's dive into the players with the most to prove.

4. Alperen Sengun

Alperen Sengun being on this list may serve as a surprise, as he could arguably be the most talented player on the Rockets' roster. Sengun is already one of the better centers in the league and he just became old enough to legally buy alcohol.

The Rockets' prodigy has commonly drawn comparisons to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic- a two-time MVP. And while Sengun may never morph into the five-time All-Star, his talent is undeniable and undisputable.

And the Rockets have him on a rookie deal, which is easily one of the best bargain contracts in the league.

In spite of that, the franchise opted to start Bruno Fernando over him last season. Not only that, they were expecting to replace him with Brook Lopez.

In fact, they thought it was a foregone conclusion.

They were ultimately forced to stick with him and make him their starter.

But not by choice.

Their hand was forced.

And even in spite of that, the Rockets have still tinkered with the idea of supplanting Sengun in the starting lineup. Reportedly.

Sengun will now have to prove his value to a new coach who hasn't seen him in action yet. Furthermore, Sengun will have to prove his value to a coach who thought it was necessary to replace him in the starting lineup.

3. Jae'Sean Tate

Jae'Sean Tate went from a heralded undrafted prospect to an afterthought.

In the blink of an eye. In fact, Rockets fans have forgotten about his mere existence.

Tate could easily find himself out of the rotation, as the Rockets have a bevy of wing depth. Between Dillon Brooks, Tari Eason, Jalen Green, and Kevin Porter Jr., it could be hard for Tate to find his fit on the new-look Rockets.

And despite the annual reports about Tate's improved 3-point shot, that has yet to materialize on the court. As a matter of fact, Tate regressed from long-range in 2022-23, as he went from an already dismal 31.2 percent from deep in 2021-22 to an atrocious 28.3 percent from deep last season.

Tate's inability to shoot from long-range could be the impetus to him finding himself on his way out of town. Especially when you consider that every player in the Rockets' wing position can shoot better than him, which is important from a spacing standpoint.

If the Rockets felt that Tate had a lot to offer, would they have given Dillon Brooks a gargantuan contract? The answer is a resounding no.

2. Kevin Porter Jr.

The addition of Fred VanVleet has put a damper on Kevin Porter Jr.'s prior role as the Rockets' floor general. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Rockets' selection of Amen Thompson with the fourth pick was the nail in the coffin for Porter's point guard days.

Porter will likely be moving back to the wing, where the Rockets have a bit of a logjam. And although there were talks regarding Porter potentially starting over Jalen Green at the shooting guard position, I'd be floored if that actually came to fruition. 

Porter could be moving to a Sixth Man role and many are skeptical about his acceptance of such a role, based on prior dust-ups and blow-ups with previous coaches and even executives. Porter is also likely the Rockets' best chance at acquiring a formidable asset via trade, as he's the Rockets' third-highest paid player behind just VanVleet and Dillon Brooks.

And the other two were handpicked by new Rockets coach Ime Udoka, whereas Udoka inherited Porter. In addition, the combination of Porter's age and skill level could make him the Rockets' most legitimate asset that can be acquired. 

If Porter refuses to accept a reserve role, he's probably as good as gone on the first train out of Houston.

1. Dillon Brooks

Yes, Dillon Brooks landed a $90 million contract with the Rockets this summer. I'm well aware. 

His role is secure with the Rockets, based on that alone. Brooks was hand-picked by Ime Udoka - another sign of job security. 

The onus will now be on Brooks to prove he was worthy of that contract, as the Rockets have been reamed to infinity and beyond for giving him that deal

And Brooks has heard the noise. It would be impossible for him not to.

Hell, he's even been booed in international matches this summer. 

He's DEFINITELY heard it.

Let's not forget that the Memphis Grizzlies decided that they were not going to be bringing him back, regardless of the circumstances.

They were done.

And not because Brooks isn't a quality player, but rather because he's proven incapable of understanding his role offensively, as he's expressed a belief that he should be more of a focus on that end of the floor.

Spoiler alert: he shouldn't have been. 

Actually, you be the judge. 

Brooks led the Grizzlies in shots in 2020-21 (15.4 shots), was second in 2021-22 (16.4 shots), and finished third last season with 13.6 shots. The Grizzlies were the second-best team in the Western Conference in each of the last two years, yet Brooks was still unhappy with his role offensively. 

Brooks will have to prove that he's a team player, because this would make one think otherwise. And the fact that Tari Eason is already a better player offensively for just a fraction of the price proves that Brooks will need to show up and show out to justify the Rockets giving him this massive pay raise.