The Rockets Need A Microwave Scorer From The Bench

The Houston Rockets have locked in who their top-end talents will be next season. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson will be the team's best players throughout next season. Houston expects to get plenty of production from these three players next season.

However, the league's best teams get more production offensively from just their top offensive players. Teams that reach the Conference Finals and beyond have several players who can knock down shots or create shots for the team. The Rockets hope that one of their reserves can turn into a sparkplug for the bench next season.

There are a few players who could be primed to take that step for Houston from the bench.

Tari Eason is his version of a sparkplug, injecting energy into the defense with his intense effort and active hands. His defense and offensive rebounding create shots for the team, providing extra buckets and possessions. While Eason isn't adept at creating shots for himself, his nonstop effort is a vital piece to Houston, and even more crucial coming from the bench.

Rebounding and fast-break finishes after steals aren't enough to be considered the level of scorer that other teams have from their bench. The Boston Celtics' Payton Pritchard is an example of a bench player with microwave scoring ability, especially as he has improved throughout his career. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a bench, and really an entire roster, that can make 3-pointers at a high clip. Eason by himself can't cover that kind of production.

His draftmate, Jabari Smith Jr., is a player who could provide a little more in the three-point shooting department.

Smith Jr. has already become one of the team's most consistent shooters, and his length helps him defend the rim or switch out to smaller players. Smith Jr. must improve even further with his three-point shot, consistently making buckets to help space the floor. New acquisition Dorian Finney-Smith fills a similar role, despite being a smaller player. Either could come from the bench, but neither is the team's solution at a top bench scorer.

Reed Sheppard has all the tools to fill that role for the Rockets. He shares similar qualities with Pritchard, but hasn't been able to consistently demonstrate his skill. He showed flashes last season, but the Rockets need him to make a large step next year to become a microwave scorer to inject some scoring and playmaking into the team whenever the starters come out flat.

The Rockets made major improvements to their offensive game in the starting lineup, but they'll need production from their bench as well to compete with the league's best.