Houston Rockets: 5 Season-defining narratives to follow after splashy offseason

Who emerges as the clear-cut leader?

We can expect quite the battle to see who will emerge as the Houston Rockets’ go-to player as they have many viable options who could lead this team. There is Jalen Green who many believe is the face of the franchise but he will have to show and prove in order to earn that title, especially with Jabari Smith Jr. expected to have a breakout season.

Then there is Kevin Porter Jr. whose impact will be much needed as one of the better shooters on the team. The Rockets finished 2nd to last in 3-pointers made, 22nd in 3-pointers attempted and dead last in 3-point percentage.

There is also the addition of Fred Van Vleet who could also emerge as the leader. In order for Green to make another leap in his development he must improve his defense, improve at making plays for others and become more of a consistent scorer. Even though he has had some good scoring outputs, he must be able to score like that game in and game out.

However, Green did appear more comfortable driving into traffic using a variety of moves. Smith Jr. must do a better job at taking the open shot when the opportunity presents itself. It was noticeable how he developed a habit of driving or settling for long 2’s when he could have taken a better shot.

It also didn’t help that Stephen Silas admitted that he never ran any plays for Smith Jr. but now that he has a more established point guard and a coach who has already had success, he should be in a position to have a big season.