The Rockets Are Still Waiting For Their Draft Picks To Level Up

The Houston Rockets have suffered a few difficult losses since Alperen Sengun has gone down with an injury. Kevin Durant has done his best to carry the workload offensively, but it hasn't been enough to lead his team to a win as some of Durant's teammates have failed to support his efforts. One of the main issues is Houston's reliance on their rebuild-era draft picks, due to those players' inconsistencies.

Amen Thompson is the highest performing top pick for the Rockets in this stretch as he has averaged over 21 points over the last six games to help Durant with the team's offensive output.

Tari Eason has been the team's next-highest, homegrown contributor. He has elevated his shooting to elite levels this season, providing an ideal three-and-D presence for the Rockets. However, he hasn't been able to stay on the floor consistently due to his injury management this season.

The Rockets have truly struggled at times due to the intermittent stretches of poor play from other fellow draft picks Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard.

Sheppard has shown flashes of his ability to work the pick-and-roll and find spaces in the middle of the floor to take a mid-range shot. He is also adept at finding open spaces from beyond the arc for catch-and-shoot three pointers. However, his offensive presence isn't always as prevalent, with Sheppard taking a backseat to Durant and Thompson when they have the ball in their hands.

Smith Jr. has had the most struggled of any rebuild-era draft pick this season.

His overall efficiency is determined largely by huge swings from game to game. Some games he is on fire, hitting big shots from the perimeter and creating opportunities for himself in the mid-range. His long-range percentage has dropped throughout the season due to stretches of brutal shooting from beyond the arc.

Many of Houston's losses have been due to an inability for the team's big shot makers to finish when they get opportunities. Smith Jr. gets one of the highest number of three-point opportunities on the team, and he's not making enough of them to justify his status as the starting lineup's floor spacer.

Defensively, Josh Okogie has provided higher quality defense, but the Rockets have struggled without consistent floor spacing from Okogie, Smith Jr., or Dorian Finney-Smith. The Rockets may be able to reach near their ceiling if they can get league average shooting from these three wings.

However, the Rockets aren't leaning on their free agent additions to lead this team to victories. Houston used significant draft capital to create this team, and the team's performance lies on the shoulders of the players who were selected during the rebuild. They must level up to give the Rockets a true chance at contending.