Building toward better days
Future bright for franchise with quartet of teen rookies rising through the ranks
LAS VEGAS — Normalcy, or at least a step in that direction, rarely had been more welcome.
There was work to be done as usual, though after the 2020 Las Vegas Summer League was lost to the pandemic, that was welcome, too.
Beyond that, summer league delivered the usual challenges and realizations, some of the customary overreactions to games that are best to be avoided but still fun. There were waves of highlights, from the Jonathan Kuminga drive-and-dunk at the start of summer league to the Greg Brown III breakaway, between-the-legs smash.
That was all typical of summer league, which was a good thing as the NBA took another step back to what had been lost. That also made it a fitting turning point for the Rockets, a team desperate for a bridge from what was to what could be.
The transition was painful, literally in many ways. But if the draft lottery and draft-night haul offered reasons for hope, summer league put that hope on stage and in a spotlight that seemed to bring the Rockets out of the darkness of the 2020-21 season with its avalanche of defection and defeat.
There is an understanding that a turnaround will not be instant when the real games begin. As Rockets general manager Rafael Stone put it, “We know it’s not instant gratification. It’s not even a quick journey. But I think that everybody’s embracing every single step along the way.”
With the addition of four teenagers, filled with exuberance and ambition, the Rockets could celebrate moving on to whatever could be built, rather than lament what had been lost. That fits with an organization with a team president, general manager and coach all in their first year in charge.
It still all comes down to the games. Beyond the transformation of the roster or transfusion of drafted talent, summer league brought games — chances to see Jalen Green’s explosive quickness, Alperen Sengun’s obvious skills, and Josh Christopher’s combination of ability and ambition — with hopes of better days for the team.
That is the tradition of summer league. It was good to have that back. For the Rockets,“same old, same old” felt new and welcome.
Green just getting started
Green had been refreshing in many ways, from his sensational play to his frank comments. But more than that, he was right.
After he limped off midway through his third summer-league game and the decision was made to shut him down, Green said, “I don’t have anything to prove anything here. I got to prove it in the NBA, and that’s what I’m going to try to do.”
His play in Las Vegas offered a glimpse of his potential, but that was already clear when the Rockets selected him with the second pick of the draft. His talent was obvious in his season with the G League Ignite.
Others might have seen it when he led the Rockets to wins to open summer league, averaging 20.3 points on 51.4 percent shooting and 52.6 percent 3point shooting even with his playing time limited when he was hurt and with the Pistons keeping him in double teams. The Rockets were not at all surprised by the talent.
They were more encouraged, excited even, by what they saw that went beyond an explosive first step or soft shooting touch.
Green’s game against the Pistons and Cade Cunningham, the one player chosen before him in the draft, was billed as a showcase event of summer league. Green elevated it, not intending to hype it like wresting as much as to answer the question that was asked.
“I feel I should have been No. 1,” Green had said after practice in Las Vegas, the day before facing Cunningham and the Pistons. “It’s going to be a good game. No. 1 vs. No. 2. That’s what people are going to be looking for.”
Green performed well. He had 25 points, knocking down 6-of-11 shots including, 3-of-5 3-pointers, as the Rockets surged to a 20point win.
More telling for the Rockets, however, was that when the Pistons threw double teams at Green — blitzing on high screens — he did not get drawn into a showdown with Cunningham. (He did twice beat Cunningham off the dribble, forcing Cunningham to take a foul before a Green slam for two of his seven fouls that night.)
Green made the reads and made the right plays. He still got his points in an efficient performance. That comes with that sort of talent. But his willingness to play within the offense, rather than react to the spotlight and the hype, was more important for the Rockets to see than a reminder of the abilities they already knew.
“It’s exciting to see him up and close and personal in a Rockets uniform,” Rockets coach Stephen Silas said. “Jalen out there making exciting plays but doing it within the context of how we do things.”
More than that, they saw the determination that will be essential to Green achieving his outsized goals. The weeks in summerleague training camp and in Las Vegas showed his drive. He works. He behaves not as if he has arrived but as if he is just starting on his way to where he wants to go.
That leads to an unusual combination of great confidence and humility. Green believes strongly in his ability. But his long-held determination to be great forces him to measure himself not with rookies and summer-leaguers but with those that have already achieved all that he wants, a comparison that is humbling.
Other than the reassurance that his hamstring soreness was minor, that was the best thing the Rockets could hope to see in Las Vegas.
There is star quality to Green, from the looks and athleticism in his slender build to the ability to put the ball in the basket with style. But a view of the grounded determination had to be the best news for the Rockets at summer league. It will be the key to living up to that potential that was on display.
As Green put it confidently but matter-of-factly, “You’re going to see a lot more.”
Sengun embodies readiness
Sengun departed Las Vegas early, having accomplished all he could with four games. He averaged 14.5 points and 10.8 rebounds in 25 minutes per game, making 43.2 percent of his shots and 37.5 percent of his 3-pointers. There seemed little left to gain with one more summer league game.
He also demonstrated a great deal about his play and his readiness for what comes next.
Sengun showed skills and drive, playing with a “high motor” as advertised. He is far from the fastest player on the court, but he runs the floor hard. He is not too quick off his feet, but he chases every rebound, coming away with his share taken in a crowd.
That was all part of the scouting report when the Rockets dealt the first-round picks of the Wizards and Pistons to get Sengun with the 16th pick of the draft.
More than his numbers or abilities, Sengun had a look about him that stood out. As with each of the Rockets’ first-round picks, he is just 19 years old. He looks it, too. He, as with Christopher, Usman Garuba and Jalen Green, would be carded for sure if they ordered a beer at dinner. But in games and practices, Sengun looked like an NBA player dropped into summer league.
The NBA veterans are always conspicuous in summer league. Training camp, practices, shootarounds and games tend to accelerate learning and lead to poise in games. They show a greater understanding of what they want to do and can do, even in a summer setting.
Sengun had that. When the ball found him, he had a plan for what he wanted to do with it. He did not often stand with his back to the basket and call for the ball, as he had as the MVP of the Turkish league and likely will not very often with the Rockets. But he still executed in his role, looking like a player much more experienced in the ways of the NBA than he is.
There will be adjustments to come when he plays against players with more size and athleticism than him. That is always part of the process. But the way Sengun executed made him look like the sort of rookie who can get on the court quickly and belong.
He looked like his combination of energy, varied skills and passing ability will allow him to contribute quickly. He is not likely to put up the sort of numbers in an NBA season that he did last week. He will not have to. But he looked like an NBA player already, leaving little reason to play one more game of summer league.
Christopher, Garuba on cusp
The numbers are obvious and undeniable. The Rockets drafted four players, signed two free agents and have 15 players under contract, not including any twoways.
Not every signed player in Las Vegas will be playing to start next season.
Rookies Usman Garuba and Christopher showed their potential and why the Rockets grabbed them in the first round. Both also will need playing time.
They could find that with the Rockets, for different reasons. Christopher’s offensive skills, particularly with the ball in his hands, are obvious, despite misfiring from deep through his five games in Las Vegas. Defensively, he looked very good applying pressure on the ball. Garuba showcased his elevated defensive potential — talent that would tend to get a rookie on the floor more quickly.
But if they are not playing with the Rockets, both could find themselves with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. This would not be a demotion. If anything, the Rockets’ history would indicate that is a sign that they value prospects.
That could benefit both should they spend time in the G League. They also would not have to check long-ago Rockets’ history (Clint Capela) to know they would be in a large club of Rockets players to have been Vipers.
Kevin Porter Jr. and K.J. Martin spent much of last season in the G League bubble. Armoni Brooks, who lit up the summer-league finale with 30 points (the most for a Rockets player in Las Vegas) was with the Vipers through much of last season.
The Rockets’ rookies need to play. Green will play with the Rockets. Sengun might. It could be difficult for Christopher and Garuba to initially get extended minutes with the Rockets.
They will play somewhere. They looked like players who will grow rapidly with the playing time.