Houston Rockets stock up, stock down

The Houston Rockets made their intentions to make major changes clear by hiring Ime Udoka as new head coach in April. In the offseason, the team should be a serious player in the free-agent market and in trade discussions for difference-makers. 

In the meantime, here are four Rockets whose stock is either rising or falling.

Stock up

Alperen Sengün, center: In his second NBA season, the 20-year-old improved significantly, justifying those who believe he can become an elite center. In 75 regular-season games, Sengun produced 14.8 points, nine rebounds and 3.9 assists and shot 57% from two-point range and 33.3% from deep.  

Despite an unorthodox playing style, Sengun is clearly capable of becoming Houston's center of the future and will be a key part of the team's roster reconstruction this summer. Udoka has a reputation as a defensive-minded coach and could help Sengun improve that part of his game.

Jalen Green, guard: In his second year in the NBA, Green flashed an improved ability to get to his shooting spots. An athletic guard who loves to push the pace, the 21-year-old is one of the more exciting prospects in the NBA. However, Green's shot selection continues to limit his overall impact. However, that's what happens when you give a fearless young player the green light on offense. 

Overall, Green performed slightly above expectations for a Rockets team that had no chance of making much noise this season. Green averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds and shot 47.1% from two-point range and 33.8% from deep, a marked improvement from his rookie year. 

This offseason, the hope will be that Green continues to work on his perimeter shooting mechanics and consumes vast amounts of game tape to improve his shot selection and court vision. Still, it's abundantly clear that Green has the potential to be an elite guard and one of the crown jewels in the team's rebuild.

Stock down

Daishen Nix, guard: In his second season in the NBA, Nix failed to show much growth in his game. A lack of athleticism and explosiveness often limited the second-year guard from generating consistent scoring opportunities for himself.  

Entering next season, Nix will not have a guaranteed contract, which will give the Rockets a get-out-of-jail-free card if he doesn't show signs of improvement. Without vastly improving his pick-and-roll game, Nix probably won't find ways to using his passing skills. As such, he could find himself in a similar predicament as this season.

Usman Garuba, center: The second-year big man's limited size (6-foot-8 and 230 pounds) and mobility made him susceptible to being targeted by opponents' guards and wings.

Garbua has an excellent feel for defense and reads the game well, but without the physical tools to pair with those instincts, the 21-year-old will face an uphill battle to become a solid contributor. Garuba is young enough to continue developing and would do well to style his game on other non-athletic big men, such as Boston's Al Horford and Grant Williams or Milwaukee's Brook Lopez. 

So, while Garuba's stock may be down now, he will be given plenty of opportunities to succeed. The addition of Udoka should help him.