The Rockets are a step behind the NBA's best young teams

The Houston Rockets have built one of the brightest young cores in the NBA. That was reinforced by a recent Bleacher Report ranking of the league's best young cores, which placed Houston fourth behind the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Detroit Pistons.

Rockets fans should be proud of that ranking, but a touch of concern is also understandable. Right now, the Rockets feel like they are a tier below the three teams above them.

Houston is a tier below the NBA's elite young cores

Detroit, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City all won more than 60 games last season. They are also built around players who earned All-NBA First Team honors.

Houston, on the other hand, won 52 games and finished fifth in the Western Conference. That is a very good season, but it showed the Rockets are not quite in the same conversation as the league's true contenders.

The Rockets also did not have a member of their young core earn All-NBA honors. They were represented by 37-year-old Kevin Durant, but given his age, it is fair to wonder how much longer he can continue playing at that level.

The bigger question is whether anyone in Houston's young core can eventually become an All-NBA First Team-caliber player. Alperen Sengun is a multi-time All-Star, but his defensive limitations and inconsistent shooting could keep him from reaching that level. Amen Thompson probably has the highest ceiling on the roster.

Thompson has obvious shooting issues, but he positively impacts the game in just about every other way. If Houston can put the right pieces around him, he has the talent to develop into one of the NBA's best players. However, he is still a long way from reaching that level.

Bleacher Report's ranking is another reminder that the Rockets have done an outstanding job building through the draft. The question now is whether internal development of this core is enough to catch Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Detroit.

When would the front office consider a blockbuster trade?

Rather than continuing to wait on internal development, Houston could decide to package multiple young players together for a proven superstar. Houston made clear that they wanted to give this roster another season to prove what they could accomplish. 

Notably, the Rockets did not pursue big names on the trade market like Giannis Antetokounmpo, LaMelo Ball, Kawhi Leonard, or Jaylen Brown. Instead, they kept their young players out of trade rumors and tried to address the needs of the roster with minor moves. That approach is understandable, but what if this team stagnates this upcoming season?

Two years ago, winning 52 games felt like a huge step forward for Houston. Last season, winning 52 games again felt like a disappointment. Expectations had grown, but the Rockets did not take an expected step forward. If that happens again this season, the front office may have to rethink whether this core is good enough to win a championship together.

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