The Rockets’ two young players have their flaws exposed: Amen struggles with ball-handling and shooting, while Eason offers little on-ball creation and is limited to a hustle/role-player job.

The Rockets edged the Suns 100–97, and it was anything but easy. Houston dug itself a hole in the first half, flipped the game in the second, then nearly let it slip late as Phoenix closed the gap. The outcome stayed in doubt until the final possession—if Kevin Durant had converted the last shot to force it level, this easily could’ve gone to overtime.

The two young Rockets delivered a mixed bag in this one—some highs, but also some clear concerns.

Amen: momentum-changer, but finishing and shooting remain major issues

Amen had stretches where he drove the Rockets’ runs, and he even delivered a huge and-one (2+1) late to tie the game, showing he can impact winning moments. But in the second half of the fourth quarter, his limitations were hard to ignore—his touch around the rim is still too inconsistent.

He can get to the paint and has the footwork to create angles, but he often can’t convert those chances. If his finishing were cleaner, Houston probably wouldn’t have needed a nail-biter to close this out. Improving that touch has to be a priority.

His three-point shot also disappeared again. He had a period earlier in the season where he knocked down a few in a row, but in this game, defenders were comfortable sagging off him when he handled the ball on the perimeter. That hurts spacing and makes both his drives and playmaking harder. The upside is obvious, but if he can’t develop reliable finishing + a respectable jumper, his ceiling gets capped. If he does, his drive threat and spacing will unlock his playmaking even more.

Eason: decision-making has been off — needs to lean into his “role-player” strengths

Eason’s problem lately looks more like shot selection and decision-making. His three-point percentage isn’t bad, yet he keeps trying to force drives into traffic. The issue is that he doesn’t consistently win those possessions: the handle isn’t tight enough, the contact-finishing isn’t strong enough, and he’s not drawing fouls at a high rate. The result is a sharp drop in efficiency—and the missed shots late were costly.

Right now, the simple fix is: play to his strengths. Take open threes decisively, don’t hesitate, and focus on defense and energy plays. If he does that, his impact becomes very clear. That’s likely the reminder Udoka needs to keep giving him—otherwise he’ll waste too many possessions on low-value attempts.