The strongest lineup after the Harden era, will next season be the peak of the Rockets new era?

The current version of the Rockets is defined by a group of young players, complementary veterans and Kevin Durant, a certified superstar.

Durant is one of the keys behind Houston's championship, and the Rockets don't know whether one of their young players can become the number one-choice scorer for a championship-level team. Alperen Shinkyung is the most offensive talent of all young players, while Amen Thompson has the best physical talent of all players in the team.

Amen Thompson is an important part of the offense. As the most athletic member of the team, he has unique abilities to shine in the game, and he also has enough size to deal with smaller players. Most of his offseason training has been improving his ball-handling ability. If Amen Thompson can become an influential ball handler and offensive initiator, the Rockets' offense will become even more dangerous.

With Durant's joining, it is to solve the problem that the Rockets lacks people to play key balls. Despite losing some early athleticism, Durant is still a stable scorer, and he can bring about 25 points or more firepower output to the team almost at any time. Kevin Durant will fit in the offense and he will take over the game at critical moments when needed. The Rockets hope Durant's skills fit well with young stars, but they also need role players and veterans to contribute to the team's success.

Currently, the Rockets are in a good position to make significant contributions from the top and bottom of the lineup. Having Jabbarry Smith Jr. and Tari Ethan brings impact, defense and effort to the team. Fred VanVleet is the team's commander, responsible for organizing and finding opportunities to pass to high-level scorers. The addition of players such as Dorian Finney Smith and Clint Capela has helped the Rockets have a team with a more comprehensive lineup that is strong compared to some other competitors in the league.

The Rockets hope that Amen Thompson or Reed Shepard will take over Fred VanVleet's role in the future, as his impact on salary will be allocated to other key players on the team. Durant is expected to extend his contract with the Rockets until his retirement, but how will the team be competitive when Amen Thompson and Alperen Shinkyung become the team's undisputed best players?

Their best chance of success may come next season, and for individual players, there are still higher heights to reach, but the Rockets are ready for competition next season because no one can guarantee what will happen in the next few seasons. Focusing on the present is the top priority for this Rockets