Balance is the Key for the Rockets' Contention Chances

The Houston Rockets have created one of their most balanced teams in over two decades, and now they have the type of top-end talent that could help lead them to the franchise's third championship.

However, the Rockets would be smart to rely on more than just their top players to help the team reach its aspirations. While Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson will be a huge part of Houston's success, without contributions from the other players throughout the roster, the Rockets will never reach the level of success they are expecting for next season.

Defense is one area where the Rockets are ready for the entire team to contribute.

Tari Eason and Jabari Smith Jr. are already making an impact despite their limited minutes compared to the team's star players. Eason is one of the team's best off-ball defenders, knocking away lazy passes and creating fast break opportunities after turnovers.

Smith Jr. is a quality help defender in the paint, using his length and quickness to help his teammates recover at the rim if a ball handler makes it into the second level of the defense. Both players have been crucial contributors to Houston's defensive turnaround.

The addition of Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Okogie and Clint Capela will add to the Rockets' overall defensive prowess. They each provide a different layer to the team's defensive attack.

Finney-Smith and Okogie have experience guarding opposing top players, and Capela has quality help defense with slightly more blocking ability than Smith Jr.

However, the offensive attack is what will need a major contribution from players other than the team's top three players.

The Rockets need more shooting than they've had in previous seasons. Each of the players mentioned for their defensive contributions will also need to play well offensively.

Since most of the team's role players have offensive games that depend on playmaking from others, there is heightened responsibility for players like Sengun and Fred VanVleet to create open shots for their teammates.

Fortunately for the Rockets, their top players have been adept at creating shots from deep range. However, the team has been poor at converting those opportunities into points at a high rate. Despite a great year last season, their performance could have been better with a slightly more efficient offense.

The poor performance offensively is what ultimately led to Houston's defeat in the first round of last year's postseason. Once the Rockets resolve their offensive issues, they'll be much more equipped to compete at the highest level.