Should the Houston Rockets be confident in their star duo?

NBA history is full of dynamic duos. This has been a successful model for championship teams for years. Acquire the two most talented players you can, and surround them with role players.

Do the Houston Rockets have their dynamic duo? It's hard to say. At times throughout 2023-24, it appeared as though Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green could be better off without each other.

It seems that general manager Rafael Stone isn't worried about it.

Houston Rockets GM confident in star duo

"Fundamentally, great players can play with great players"

Rafael Stone

Fair enough. In theory, that may be true. Is it true in practice?

There's a reason why we're asking this question. Throughout most of 2023-24, Sengun looked like an All-Star. Green was playing his way onto the trade market.

Sengun went down, and Green exploded. He averaged 28.0 points per game while leading the Rockets to a 13-2 record throughout March.

Is he better without Sengun?

Houston Rockets need more data

We're not sure.

On the one hand, it stands to reason that Green would have more open driving lanes with Jabari Smith Jr. manning the 5. If he's the type of guard whose primary skill is getting to the rim, playing alongside a post big like Sengun may not be optimal.

On the other hand, the Rockets' competition level throughout March was weak. It's entirely possible that Green would have exploded even alongside Sengun.

Moreover, Sengun doesn't have to play on the low block. His ability to pass could complement Green if Sengun is utilized on the high post, on the perimeter, or in dribble hand-off sets.

It's worth the Rockets' time to find out.

Houston Rockets may have star duo secured

If Sengun and Green still don't look like a good fit to begin 2024-25, the Rockets can reassess the situation.

Fans don't like the idea of trading a potential star. We get it. At the same time...it happens. There was never a guarantee that the Rockets had drafted their entire core over three years.

Yet, that remains possible. The Rockets will need to reconfigure Sengun's usage next year. If they can get him going in sets that should help Green score, the Rockets may find synergy between their star duo.

That's a time-tested recipe for success in the NBA.