Happy New Year! 2024 is starting on a great note for the Rockets (17-15), who defeated Brooklyn and Detroit by double digits thanks in large part to spectacular play from Alperen Sengun.

With that in mind, Friday’s show explores whether Houston’s third-year big man can earn All-Star honors this season, as well as his potential to receive a maximum salaried contract extension in the offseason.

Other topics include the increasing roles of rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, as well as what their emergence could mean as the NBA’s in-season trade deadline approaches in early February.