The Houston Rockets entered last season with a clear emphasis on development and allowing prized young prospects to take their lumps and learn from mistakes. That was especially the case with third-year guard Kevin Porter Jr., who transitioned into a full-time starting role at point guard for the first time in his young NBA career.
In general, the results were a mixed bag. Porter improved his 3-point shooting, going from 31.1% in 2020-21 to 37.5% in 2021-22. He showed flashes of brilliance, headlined by a seven-game stretch to finish the year in which Porter averaged 28.7 points (48% FG, 40.3% on 3-pointers), 7.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game.
