Houston Rockets: Goals for each member of the young core

Jalen Green #0 of the Houston Rockets reacts after dunking the ball during the second half against the Boston Celtics (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

The Houston Rockets are not going to sniff the playoffs this year. Based on how they have played to start the season, that much can be assumed.

Most people could have guessed this before the season even started, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to look forward to. This is a fun, young team that has plenty of room to grow.

After the 2021 NBA Draft, a lot of fans pegged the Rockets as the winners of the night. Even past that, though, they have some great young talent who could be ready to take that next leap.

What should the Houston Rockets be expecting out of their young guys this year? What’s one goal for some of the top young players on their roster?

Players left out of this list include Josh Christopher, Kenyon Martin Jr., and Armoni Brooks. The reason behind that is because the main goal for each of them should be to improve as three-point shooters and become more consistent from that range.

Goals for the Houston Rockets young core: Jalen Green

Jalen Green was Houston’s top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. They took him second overall and have high hopes for him moving forward, as he’ll likely be their franchise player.

So far this year, Green hasn’t gotten off to the hottest of starts. His shooting splits are pretty ugly, despite the fact that he’s putting up a decent amount of points.

His goal for this season should be to turn things around on that front. Green’s goal is to try to at least average respectable shooting splits for a rookie, which is likely around 40 percent from the field and 32% from deep.

Green has plenty of time to turn things around in this regard. That’s the main thing he should be working on throughout the course of this season.

Goal: Improve his shooting efficiency