Rockets Boast Three Players on HoopsHype's Top 100 List

Player rankings have been a bit of a hot topic in Houston Rockets circles of late. Tari Eason took issue with being omitted from ESPN's Top 100 list, Alperen Sengun said that the lists don't matter one iota and Kevin Durant added that the people who make the lists don't really watch basketball deeply.

The Rockets have a loaded roster, which is a great blend of proven veterans and young, up-and-coming players full of promise. Which makes their representation on HoopsHype's Top 100 list all the more sensical.

(Eason missed the cut once more).

Writer Frank Urbina had three Rockets players on his list: Amen Thompson and the aforementioned Sengun and Durant. 

Thompson came in at 45, with the synopsis below:

"Thompson is a slippery guard with great size, strength and athleticism, capable of getting to the rim and finishing with aplomb. If he just had a more reliable jumper, we’d be projecting a first-time All-Star bid in Thompson’s near future. 

Regardless, as a guard standing at 6-foot-7 with a freakish 7-foot wingspan and solid ball-handling, Thompson’s potential is through the roof. 

If he just figures out how to shoot the ball more accurately from the outside, we’re talking All-NBA-level potential with Thompson."

Thompson made just 27.5 percent of his treys last season but made 37 percent from deep in the corners. He noted that he's been working on his outside shot this summer, which will make him essentially impossible to stop if he can increase his shooting efficiency. 

The next Rockets player on the list was Durant, who came in at 22.

"Last season, Kevin Durant was one of just six players to put up a 26/6/4 stat line, and did so while shooting an astronomical 43 percent from three. 

Can he still be the best player on a championship team? 

We’re about to find out, as Durant joins a strong Houston Rockets team this season replete with players who have loads of promise like Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun."

Sengun ranked one spot ahead of Durant, which is a bit of a surprise.

"Sengun, who came damn close to winning Eurobasket gold and MVP a few weeks ago, is another center with that modern, skilled twist to his game, as he can not only score with his back to the basket or after facing up, but he can also rebound at a high level and make plays for teammates in a creative manner unbecoming of a traditional 5. 

Sengun is probably just a reliable three-point shot away from reaching those All-NBA heights, something he worked on this offseason with Serbian coach Djordje Sijan.

Even without the three-point stroke, Sengun is already an All-Star-level guy, and considering he only just turned 23 years old, that has us thinking big things are in store for the Turkish native."

Sengun adding a 3-point shot would be icing on the cake. He's become one of the better passing bigs in the league and has proven unafraid of even the toughest defenders.

Case in point, Golden State Warriors defensive ace Draymond Green, who Sengun didn't back down from during Houston's opening postseason series. 

All told, the Rockets' trio of Thompson, Durant, and Sengun is exactly the reason so many have them penciled in for home court advantage despite the loss of Fred VanVleet. 

We'll see how it all shakes out.