Where does the Rockets top trio rank in the NBA?

The Rockets have one of the NBA's strongest trios. Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun, and Amen Thompson would be in my top five entering this season, and what I like about Houston’s trio isn’t just the talent. It’s how different all three of them are.

There really isn’t much overlap here. Durant is still one of the best scorers in basketball to build around even at age 38. Sengun gives Houston an offense-running center who can score and create for everybody else. Amen can impact a game without having a single play called for him, and he’s already become the type of defender you can throw at the other team’s best player.

Durant Changes Everything

Durant is still one of the best pure scorers in basketball, and the biggest thing for Houston is that they don't need him to carry an offense the way he might have earlier in his career. That's actually why I like this situation for him so much.

There will be nights when Houston needs Durant to take over, especially late in games when everything slows down, and you need somebody who can just get a shot. He can still do that for the Rockets. You can give him the ball on the wing, let him work from the midrange, put him in a pick-and-roll, or let him punish a mismatch.

Sengun can run the offense too for the Rockets;; they don’t have to rely only on Durant. Sengun is an elite post scorer and a very good passer. He has also been working on his three-point shot with new shooting coach Chip Engelland.

Sengun Might Be What Makes This Trio Different

This is where I think Houston's trio gets really interesting, because Sengun isn't just a center you dump the ball to for a post-up. He can legitimately run your offense similar to how Jokic can.

We've already seen how comfortable Sengun is creating from the post, finding cutters, handling the ball, and making reads that most centers simply aren't making. He's also developed into a legitimate scoring threat, which means defenses can't just sit back and dare him to beat them.

If you start bringing extra attention toward Sengun, you're potentially leaving Durant with space. If you're terrified of Durant and don't want to leave him, Sengun gets more room to operate. Then you've got Amen moving around the floor, cutting, crashing the glass, and looking for opportunities to attack.

Amen Is Why I'm So High on the Ceiling

Amen Thompson is probably the player people will question when you call this a top-five trio because he doesn't have Durant's resume or Sengun's offensive production.

He's exactly the type of third star I would want next to those two.

Amen can take the toughest perimeter defensive assignment, rebound like a much bigger player, push Houston in transition, and create absolute chaos with his athleticism. There are stretches where you notice him everywhere without Houston having to change the offense to accommodate him.

That's incredibly valuable when you're playing next to two players who already give you so much offensively.

Amen is so young and is not a finished product, so I’m excited to see how he continues to develop.

If his shooting continues to develop and teams eventually have to respect him consistently away from the basket, that's when this trio could become a nightmare. Right now, defenses can still make certain choices because of the jumper. Take some of those choices away and suddenly you're dealing with his size, speed, and ability to get downhill without being able to sag off him.

That's why Amen is the swing piece for me. Durant and Sengun already give Houston an elite offensive foundation. Amen can raise the ceiling of the entire group because he brings things neither one of them does.

This Isn't Just Three Guys Who Can Score

That's probably my biggest argument for putting Houston in the top-five conversation.

Sometimes when we talk about Big Threes, we're really just talking about three guys who score a lot of points. Obviously that can work when the talent is overwhelming, but Houston's trio makes sense beyond simply putting three talented players together.

Durant gives you elite shot-making, Sengun gives you playmaking and interior presence, and Amen gives you the defense, athleticism, rebounding, and transition game.

They can attack you in completely different ways, and I think that matters when you start getting into playoff basketball, and teams spend an entire series trying to take away what you do best.

Add us as a preferred source on Google