29. Rockets: Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun
The Houston Rockets are another rebuilding team on this list. Since Harden left the franchise in the 2020-21 season, they’ve been rebuilding. This offseason they completely committed to a rebuild.
They bought out John Wall and traded Christian Wood as both are veterans who can help them win games. They drafted Jabari Smith Jr. with the third overall pick, Jalen Green is entering his second season, and the Wood trade opens up time for Alperen Sengun. Picking a dynamic duo on this roster was tricky, but it’s Green and Sengun. If Summer League revealed anything, it’s that Smith Jr. might struggle at first.
“If he can show growth in those two areas, the Rockets have a long-term solution at the center position.”
Sengun is a bit smaller as a center at 6-foot-9, but he showed real promise as an offensive big man. He’s averaged 9.6 points in just 20.7 minutes per game. He’s also an underrated playmaker as a big man. The big question is defense and rebuilding. If he can show growth in those two areas, the Rockets have a long-term solution at the center position.
Green is clearly the better player between the two. He had a rough start to his rookie campaign, but he was able to gain his footing as the season continued. He still needs to improve in his decision-making and efficiency, but that should come in his second year.