Houston's High School Haul Still Won't Fix the NBA Rockets

The Bulls and Rockets: A College Hoops Parallel

Okay, so the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls are trending, and if you’re like me, your first thought might be, “What college talent did I miss getting shipped around?” Because real talk, that’s where my head goes. The NBA trade deadline is long gone, and neither of these teams is exactly lighting up the league right now. Houston is sitting at 38-44 after dropping their last three, and Chicago finished 39-43. Not exactly March Madness contenders, are they?

But when I see Rockets and Bulls, my mind immediately jumps to recruiting. Think about it: both franchises have been in a rebuild, trying to stock up on young talent. The Rockets, in particular, have been drafting high for years. They took Amen Thompson fourth overall in the 2023 draft and Jabari Smith Jr. third in 2022. That’s a lot of top-end prep talent bypassing the college game entirely, or just doing a one-and-done.

Here’s the thing: it’s easy to get excited about these high school phenoms making the leap. You see a guy like Thompson, who was tearing it up in Overtime Elite, and you think instant impact. But college basketball, even for a year, develops a different kind of player. You learn how to run a real offense, how to play team defense against other grown men, how to handle pressure in a way the G-League or OTE just can't replicate when the stakes are March Madness bids.

The Missing Ingredient for NBA Rebuilds?

Look, the Rockets' roster is practically a who's who of high draft picks. Jalen Green, the second pick in 2021, put up 21.2 points per game this season. Alperen Sengun, a late first-rounder in 2021, has shown flashes of brilliance with 21.1 points and 9.3 rebounds. But they're still a disjointed team, despite all that raw talent. The Bulls, meanwhile, have leaned on more established NBA vets like DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic, which, honestly, has probably hurt their rebuild more than helped it by keeping them in NBA purgatory.

My hot take? These NBA teams, especially ones like Houston, are missing out by not having more players come through a traditional college system for at least two or three years. You get guys who understand offensive sets, who know how to play within a system, and who have faced adversity in do-or-die tournament games. Look at a guy like Jalen Brunson, who spent four years at Villanova winning two national titles. He wasn't a top-5 pick, but he's a certified star now because he learned how to play winning basketball.

Amen Thompson's athleticism is off the charts, but he's averaging 9.5 points and shooting 18.6% from three. Would a year under a seasoned college coach have polished his jumper, or given him a better feel for pacing an offense? I think so. The Rockets are building a collection of incredible athletes, but not necessarily a cohesive basketball team, and that starts with foundational development.

My bold prediction: Until the Rockets prioritize more seasoned, college-developed talent or truly commit to player development over pure athleticism, they’re going to stay stuck in the middle, regardless of how many top-5 picks they collect.