Although the Rockets are reluctant to admit it, it is an indisputable fact that they missed the playoffs this season. However, missing out on the playoffs is not a big problem, this season is not going to continue to work hard next season, and their biggest problem at the moment is that they don't have a core at all. The so-called six sons all have their own shortcomings, and none of them are the absolute core who can be the boss.
It seems that the six sons of the Rockets are all excellent. Shin Kyung has gorgeous footwork and basket skills, as well as good card handling skills, Jalen Green has unparalleled breaking speed and bounce, Ethan has the potential of a top forward, Amen's passing skills and defensive ability are top-notch, Jabari Smith Jr. has both offense and defense, and Whitmore has top-level scoring ability. However, this is only one aspect of the problem, the other aspect is that Shin Jing is not defensive inside, Green often bursts into the basket either by mistake or is capped, Ethan is not stable on the offensive end, Jabari Jr. loses confidence once he doesn't shoot accurately, and there is almost no interaction between Whitmore and his teammates.
On the whole, the six sons are almost all good candidates for the second or even the third masters, and there is no qualified choice for the big family. Because of the qualified masters, the first thing is domineering and hard solution ability, and at critical moments, they can solve problems with their personal ability. The key is that this ability is not an occasional game or two, but can always have a stable output. However, today's Rockets team does not lack players who occasionally shine, what is lacking is stable output. If I had to choose one, I think it would be Whitmore, who could be developed as a core player, but it would take a lot of determination from the Rockets and him to be able to interact with other players and show his ability to lead the team.
If we can't solve the problem of core players, or if we still use Jalen Green and Shin Jing as core training, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the Rockets to rebuild successfully.