Rockets' depth shines in new Top 100 list

The Houston Rockets were one of the deepest teams in the NBA in 2024-25.

Much was made of their depth. Could it outweigh the absence of a clear top-shelf player? Do the Rockets need to consolidate some talent for one of those guys? Is this a viable roster construction?

The Rockets got some answers. They took the Warriors to 7 games in the first round, but ultimately fell short. It was a successful season for a young team, but they'll need to build on it in 2025-26.

Whether they make a major move this summer remains to be seen. If the Rockets do decide to "run it back", they'll retain that impressive depth.

That's why they're one of the most well-represented teams on The Ringer's new Top 100 list.

Rockets roster plethora of top 100 players

Houston had six players on The Ringer's list. Those players were Alperen Sengun (36), Amen Thompson (41), Fred VanVleet (64), Tari Eason (88), Dillon Brooks (93), and Jalen Green (98).

That's a lot to dissect. Moreover, these lists are highly subjective. It would be too cumbersome to go through this entire list and determine whether each placement was accurate, so let's look at some of the more potentially controversial rankings.

As the team's highest-ranked player, it makes sense to start with Sengun. There are several players ahead of him who arguably should not be. For my money. I'd take the Turkish Delight ahead of De'Aaron Fox, Darius Garland, Jamal Murray, Ja Morant or Ivica Zubac (although Zubac's stellar season makes that debatable). Sengun should have been closer to the top 30, but he's not egregiously ranked.

Eason is. His 3.6 Box Plus/Minus (BPM) would have ranked 22nd in the league if he'd met the minutes played threshold. Granted, availability is the best ability, but Eason is better than the 88th-best player in the NBA.

Then, there's Jalen Green.

Rockets young guard needs to step up

It will be difficult for some Rockets fans to see Green behind players like Toumani Camera and Herb Jones. To be sure, he's more naturally talented than lots of the players ahead of him.

Unfortunately, he's not as impactful as either of them. Green isn't as impactful as many of the players ahead of him:

If any.

There are two conceptions of "better" that are often at odds in NBA circles. If the criterion is "who is more skilled", Green laps Herb Jones. An offense heavily featuring Jones would likely be the worst in league history.

The other conception is this: If you were trying to win a title, who would you prefer to have? If you're drafting the league from scratch for a single season, who would you prefer? Here's the harsh reality:

GMs around the league would have Jones' name circled, and Green on their "do not draft" list.

Green is still young. He's got time to turn this around. For the time being, he's somewhere between the 70th and 100th best player in the NBA:

Good thing the Rockets have the depth to cover for him.