Rockets' Stars Train Together in Southern California

This is a good sign.

Jan 29, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) celebrates with guard Jalen Green (4) after Green scores a basket during the third quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports / Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets took a meteoric rise in 2023-24, showing signs of life after being in the doldrums of the Western Conference for seemingly forever. But it's virtually impossible not to improve when you've been one of the worst teams in the league.

It's also easier to do it when you aren't expected to be a formidable threat. 

Teams aren't always giving you their best shot because they don't believe they'll need to in order to beat you. So much that teams oftentimes rest their key guys when they see you on the schedule because they believe they'll still have a good chance of winning (which the Rockets saw multiple times last season).

All of that is out the window now.

The cat's out of the bag. After posting a 19-win improvement and going 41-41, the Rockets made it clear that they're no longer an easy defeat. They won't have the same opportunity to catch teams off guard.

Thus, the 2024-25 season will be a big year for the franchise. It'll be an even bigger year for Jalen Green, who's seeking to show the front office that he's worthy of a rookie-scale max extension.

Green has certainly shown his ability to be a franchise cornerstone, albeit in spurts. He's been wildly inconsistent, to put it politely.

So much that he was benched at the end of games on numerous occasions last season. Ditto for Jabari Smith Jr., who was removed from the closing lineup early in the year, in favor of Jeff Green.

Smith is also surely eyeing an extension, as he becomes eligible after this upcoming season.

The two were recently spotted training together in Los Angeles at Jalen Green's minicamp, as they prepare for arguably the biggest season of their pro careers.

Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. putting in work out in Los Angeles:

(Via @dashletics) pic.twitter.com/mqjubdJzOD

— Bradeaux (@BradeauxNBA) August 17, 2024

The Rockets will be relying quite heavily on the two of them, who were both selected very early in their respective draft classes, as the team's biggest chance of taking another leap in the West lies on their shoulders.

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