The Rockets Are Depending On Another Leap From Their Young Stars

The addition of Kevin Durant immediately increased the Houston Rockets' chances of reaching the Finals and even winning the franchise's third championship. A few other acquisitions have created a well-rounded roster for Houston as the team has the highest expectations it has had in over five seasons.

However, to reach those great expectations, the Rockets need their young players to continue growing and improving. Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun are the two players Houston will continue to lean on despite the new veteran additions to the squad.

Sengun has already proven his value as one of the team's top players. His ability to score and initiate offense gives the Rockets a solid option to break down opposing defenses. His first All-Star selection was well-deserved, and he backed up his play with some solid games in the postseason. Sengun's efficiency took somewhat of a dip, but his overall play overshadowed any drop with his improvement on defense.

Sengun's next level is when he can take more ownership of the offense and create open shots for his teammates at a high rate. Some of it will be on his teammates to hit their shots, but Durant, Fred VanVleet, and Dorian Finney-Smith are known to hit shots off the catch. Sengun should have much more responsibility for the offense next season, and he'll have to rise to the occasion to meet the need.

Thompson will also have more responsibility on offense next season. It's not fair to assume he'll have a consistent jump shot after just one offseason of work, so he'll have to be excellent in all other facets of his game.

He proved he's one of the league's top defenders last season by securing a spot on the First-Team All-Defensive squad. He overtook Dillon Brooks as the top defender on the team, guarding opposing teams' best players for the Rockets.

The main jump Thompson will need to take next season is offensively. His handle improved throughout the season, but he needs to take another step in that area to become an impactful point forward for the Rockets. Like Sengun, Thompson must also create shots for his teammates by initiating offense.

Thompson and Sengun are the two players with the highest potential of Houston's draft picks during the rebuild. For the Rockets to take the next step, they'll need those two players to take a step forward as well.