The Rockets Have Plenty To Prove Next Season

The Houston Rockets have new expectations heading into next season following several moves that have elevated the team's talent level. The biggest move was acquiring Kevin Durant in a trade that officially marked a new era of contention for the Rockets. However, building a strong team on paper isn't enough to become a true contender in today's NBA. The Rockets must still prove themselves worthy of their newfound hype and play up to their potential.

To reach their team goals, the Rockets will need their individual players to prove themselves throughout the season.

Durant must prove to the league that he is still one of the league's premier scorers. Finishing as a top 10 scorer last season only solidified Houston's belief in his abilities. The Rockets must find the impact of Durant's offense as a vital addition to their team, one they believe can sustain through his eventual retirement. If Durant does complete his stellar career with the Rockets, he'll prove that he is in a short list of some of the best players ever.

Houston's young stars have a lot to prove next season as well

Amen Thompson must prove he can continue being a factor defensively, while also contributing more to the offense. He'll have to contribute to the offense while not being an elite shooter and sharing the floor with another non-shooter in Alperen Sengun.

While workout videos have shown both players knocking down outside shots, they'll be considered non-shooters until they can hit them at a high clip during the regular season. Both players are capable of scoring at a high clip without a consistent outside shot. Thompson uses his speed and elite jumping ability, while Sengun uses his intelligence and trickery to score. Thompson must look to level up his game to near an All-Star level with the ball in his hands to take some pressure off of Fred VanVleet, Reed Sheppard, and Durant.

Sengun successfully made the All-Star Game last season, so he'll be looking to become an All-NBA caliber player next year.

He isn't far from reaching that point; his numbers compare to some of the best centers in the league, and he has a rare ability to take over for the Rockets on offense. Sengun must continue improving defense, as he has become an integral part of one of the league's best defenses. He must also become more efficient from the floor and the free-throw line. He has to prove he is a perennial All-Star caliber player who can help lead a team to deep runs in the postseason.

Players like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason must prove they are worth the investment the Rockets are assigning to them. Smith Jr. has already received his reward for becoming a quality role player, while Eason's may be coming shortly. Both must prove they can be key contributors for a championship-level team, or they may find themselves contributing to another team's contention chances before too long.

The Rockets as a whole must prove they can truly contend for a championship against the league's other top teams. Winning a championship is extremely difficult, but the Rockets are trying to prove they are one of the teams capable of doing so.