What Rockets' Star's Offseason Workouts are Signaling for Next Season

VanVleet was a major part of the culture change in Houston, guiding them out of the rebuilding phase as a floor general and top scorer for a youthful group. Despite not playing games, he's remained active this offseason in his role as a leader, as he's been seen in multiple workout videos with head coach Ime Udoka, and was recently elected President of the NBA Players Association.

Some have formed mix opinions on VanVleet, likely due to his play that shows more inconsistencies as he ages. Despite this, it's clear that he's still a major part of this team, given how active he's been along with receiving a brand new contract for two years, $50 million.

VanVleet working out with Sengun only enforces that idea, as Sengun is clearly a building block of the future and a focal point of next season's offense, meaning that perfecting play alongside the 22-year-old is crucial. The veteran guard is doing so willingly, as he's adjusted well to different roles throughout his two seasons in Houston, and is preparing to do so again next season

In the clip, VanVleet can be seen slinging a cross-court pass to Sengun, who knocks down the open 3-pointer. Sengun's been spotted working on his deep ball throughout the offseason, which could be a new fold to his diverse game unlocked for next season.

Last season, he shot just 23.3 percent from 3-point range on 1.2 attempts per game, but ended the season stronger – shooting 30 percent in the month of March, and 37.5 percent through seven playoff games. He's a highly skilled big who's got the offensive craft and touch to become a shooter, and it appears as though he's taking steps to become one.

Unlocking Sengun as a shooter could be even more crucial for next season if the Rockets want to frequent double-big lineups, given the success they had in the postseason with the Sengun and Steven Adams lineups. If the double-big lineups worked despite Sengun not being an effective floor spacer, it's easy to imagine that they'd work even better with a knockdown Sengun 3-pointer.

Between VanVleet flying out to Turkey to workout with Sengun, and the young star developing a new skill, it's clear that both have a strong dedication to helping the Rockets push for a title next season, which becomes a more realistic goal with each day of work.