The progress of the Rockets from an outside perspective

Perspective on the Houston Rockets’ 2023-24 campaign is vastly different when you aren’t covering the team, partaking in social media debates and frequently analyzing what’s up next. Take it from me, a once-former Dream Shaker who has returned to his old stomping grounds after life threw him a curve ball. After roughly two years away, I’ve returned and my gift to you all is a silver lining.

Do you know what you learn when you aren’t studying a team in-depth? The art of resilience. There are many ways you can describe this season for the Rockets as it nears its final day, but all you need is one word: Growth.

Cliche, yes, but it’s been the first thought that has come to mind when reading updates on the Rockets. Through the never-ending grind of writing about college football, I’d find myself smiling when stepping away for a moment and noticing the remarkable progress of Alperen Sengun, who has overcome the barrier of limited minutes that sparked incredibly passionate debates during - trigger warning - Stephen Silas’ tenure.

During my first stint with TDS, Sengun was a high-potential rookie who found quicker success than most expected. He’s only evolved since then, becoming a stat-sheet stuffer and looks the part of a future star in the league. I used to be critical of Sengun’s ability to defend without fouling, but now foes struggle to defend him without fouling.

Growth.

Jalen Green. Do I need to say anything more than that? I was adamant that Evan Mobley was the better prospect than Green before their respective rookie seasons. After watching him go berserk in March, I’ve found a hill I’m on no longer. Green averaged 15.8 points per game in March and 27.7 in April.

Are you kidding me?

It was awe-inspiring because most criticism before the scoring leap was directed toward who he chose to have a child with rather than his production on the floor (if you need evidence social media was a mistake, there you go). Nonetheless, it felt as if Green began to play with a weight off his shoulders because rather than having something to prove, he played with the motivation of providing for his expanding family. The result? Phenomenal basketball and a trend that should continue beyond this season.

For the first time since Houston traded Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks, I see what Houston is trying to build. Sure, the small-ball Rockets didn’t work out, but at least there was a vision. The current Rockets aren’t imploding depth for the sake of spacing, so that’s a positive. Instead, they’ve constructed a hyper-athletic team that will be extremely tough to beat in a seven-game series as Sengun, Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Cam Whitmore, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson continue to develop.

So while it was disappointing that Houston had an opportunity to make the NBA Playoffs and failed to seize the moment, they checked off every other box along the way, which should be the takeaway in a Western Conference that has seen a razor-thin close to the finish line from the No. 1 seed to the Play-In Tournament.

Just like I’d tell fans of San Antonio and Dallas, the future is extremely bright in Houston.