So many want the Rockets to trade for the players to put them over the top, but those players are already on the roster.
The Houston Rockets last four games have been like Christmas morning every day for the Rockets faithful. We have seen the Rockets combine their defensive dominance with some offensive prowess that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside when we imagine what this team could be when they figure out both sides of the ball consistently.
As we have discussed many times here on TDS, there are two separate camps among Rockets fans. One camp wants to see the Rockets make a move for an all-star level scorer very soon if not right away. While the other camp wants to see the Rockets be patient with the young talent that is already on the roster.
Well I am a part of the latter camp and as I promised in my last piece I’d like to share with you the three Rockets currently on the roster who I believe if they can continue to develop and do so quickly, the Rockets can make that leap into contenders as soon as this season.
Reed Sheppard
The third round pick out of Kentucky has already shown why the Rockets believed he was the best player in the most recent draft class. Well… defensively he has shown why they believed he was the best player in the draft.
Sheppard has shown a knack for getting in passing lanes and being disruptive on the defensive side of the ball. This is the main reason he finds himself on the NBA roster and not in RGV where many Rockets fans believe he should be.
Why do so many fans want him to go the the G-League? Well, because he has yet to come through on the promise of his offensive efficiency. In 12 minutes per game, Sheppard is shooting an anemic 34.5 percent from the field, including 29.7 percent from the three-point line.
I am honestly not sure why Reed has not been sent to the G-League. When he was in Summer League and often the central figure in the team’s offense, he showed much promise. In the last few games, Rockets fans have seen the benefit that playing extended stretches in the G-League has benefited Cam Whitmore.
With Aaron Holiday on the roster, these 12 minutes per game are easily filled with someone who is currently a more productive player. In limited minutes, Holiday is shooting 47 percent from the field, 43.6 percent from three-point range and is a good perimeter defender in his own right. He is capable of playing within Udoka’s team defensive scheme.
If Reed Sheppard can become a consistent s shooter and playmaker off the bench, it adds a dynamic that the already impressive second unit is lacking. Having as shooter to spread the floor for Amen Thompson and a healthy Tari Eason would make the bench unit that much more dangerous.
Sheppard could be an integral part of an enhanced offensive arsenal for this team, but on his own he would not be enough to thrust the Rockets into the realm of contender. However, in combination of another player who has been getting limited minutes, the Rockets would be a step closer.
Cam Whitmore
Fans have been clamoring for Cam Whitmore to get more playing time, and in the last three games, he’s been getting minutes in the absence of Tari Eason, and he hasn’t disappointed, scoring 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, and a steal and a half per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 44 percent from three.
Cam’s upside potential is through the roof. He is one of the only players on this team who has more improvement to make on the defensive side of the ball than on the offensive side. However, he does have room to improve on both sides. Whitmore possesses all the tools to be a star in this league. Size, athleticism, strength, and a flare that makes him very exciting to watch.
Whitmore is so unique there aren’t many other players to compare him to. He has the size of a Jae Crowder, but the athleticism of Zion Williamson… you know… younger Zion Williamson. If he can reach his potential, become a consistent shooter, and at minimum find a way to successfully play within team’s defensive strategy then the Rockets won’t need to look elsewhere for an All-Star-level instant offense scorer or sixth man off the bench.
Jabari Smith Jr.
If I’ve said this once, I have said it 1000 times… When Jabari Smith Jr. plays well, the Rockets win games. The Rockets are 13-5 in their last 18 games, and in those 18 games, Jabari Smith Jr. is averaging 13.1 points-per-game, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Most importantly, he is shooting the ball very well. 47 percent from the floor and 42.5 percent from three is exactly what Rockets fans were hoping for and honestly expecting from Jabari Smith when he was selected third overall in the 2022 NBA draft. In combination with his height and athleticism, which gives him the ability to guard bigs and guards alike, Smith is beginning to come through on the promise Rockets fans have known he is capable of. The question now is how can Jabari become even more of a feature offensively?
Jabari is taking a career low nine shots per game, with those shots mainly coming in the flow of the offense. That is not a terrible thing necessarily, but if he is going to continue to shoot as well as he has, then Udoka would do well to try and find more shots for Smith. More than almost any other player on this team, Jabari is the true X-factor of this team. If he becomes a 15-point, and 10-rebounds per game player, shooting close to 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three, once more there will be no need to go look elsewhere for a “Three-and-D” player who can guard all five positions, because he will already be in the building.
Jalen Green
Anyone who has read my work in the past knows how I feel about Jalen Green, so this shouldn’t come as a surprise. More than anyone else on this team, a Jalen Green being at his best would put himself in the conversation for best player in the league. The problem is we haven’t been able to see Jalen Green at his best consistently for a long enough period of time to put him anywhere near that conversation. To the joy of Ime Udoka, I’m sure, Jalen has been very much improved and consistent on the defensive side of the ball. However, for the Rockets to make the move from feel good story and young upstart to championship contender without having to make a single trade, it will take Jalen Green being a consistent force offensively.
The Rockets need Jalen to be someone you can give the ball to in crunch time and trust that he is going to make the right play, and that he will be able to withstand physical defenses and get his shot and make his shot. If Jalen gets too big then his athleticism could be affected negatively but I believe he could stand to bulk up just a little more. While I appreciate that Jalen plays within the offensive system and does not force things, there are times I believe he should be more aggressive looking for his shot and attacking the basket. Once he becomes a player who seeks the contact and then can finish through it, he will become a true game changer.
Patience Is a Lost Virtue
The Rockets may have the deepest young team in the entire NBA. Players like Cam Whitmore, Jae’Sean Tate, Aaron Holiday, and Reed Sheppard would be playing significant minutes on many other teams in the NBA, but on this squad, they are simply biding their time and waiting on the opportunity to contribute to this much improved team. Can the Rockets fans have the patience to allow the team to develop into what many of us believe they can become, with the talent that is already on the roster? More importantly, can Tilman Fertitta and Raphael Stone have the patience, or will they be looking to put the finishing touch in this team in the trade market? It remains to be seen, but ideally, you would love to see the Rockets develop their own players into contenders for that coveted third NBA title.
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