There are glimpses of potential that jump out like a flash of light. A tough rebound snared in traffic. An explosive first step. A pick-and-roll cut to the basket ending in a violent slam.

They are still just moments, and Thomas Robinson expects much more from himself. But they do remind of the potential the Rockets saw when they made the trade with Sacramento a month ago to get the rookie from Kansas.

The talent is undeniable but raw. His strengths are clear, but there are weaknesses to overcome or avoid, rough edges to smooth.

With that in mind, far removed from the glimpses that come in his roughly 16 minutes per game, Robinson and Rockets coaches go to work. Before and after practices, he works with assistant J.B. Bickerstaff or head coach Kevin McHale. Before games, he goes through more drills with Bickerstaff. For the past month, since Robinson arrived in Houston, he has been working his way through extra sessions ranging from advanced post play to basic drills.

"The first thing and the most important thing is he is a very willing worker," Bickerstaff said. "He's always in the gym. He's always early. And he's always willing to work. That's the most important thing, because when he got here, we didn't know him. The environment in Sacramento is different. You don't know what you're getting, but he wants to get in the gym and to get better."

That has been the point of the Rockets' T-Rob project. They did not give up three players in the heat of the playoff chase to get what he could bring on arrival; they made the move for his potential. But the Rockets are in a playoff chase, and with Patrick Patterson in Sacramento and Marcus Morris in Phoenix, Robinson has received much more consistent playing time off the bench than with the Kings.

While the Rockets hope to broaden his game, for now they have sought to get him to focus on his strengths on the boards and defensively. But it is also easy to read McHale's and Bickerstaff's expressions on the bench when Robinson tries a step-back jumper or to handle the ball in traffic.

"Once you find your niche, you just try to be the best at it," Robinson said. "Just bringing my energy, just offensive rebounding, using my speed on people. Defensive rebounding is pretty much the main emphasis now. Once that keeps me on the floor, everything else will come."

Not finishing school

It will not come easily. McHale described the extra sessions as "groundwork" for work in the summer. Robinson said he already has made plans to spend much of the offseason in Houston and with the Rockets' summer league team in Orlando. But even then, McHale said, much of Robinson's improvement will be based on hours of extra work each offseason day, rather than extra minutes before or after practices when much of the work is still about the next game.

"We're still trying to get in the playoffs," Bickerstaff said. "We're not necessarily going to wait. So for now, it's about him playing to his strengths. He can really run. He can really rebound. And he can finish above the rim. So that's what we're working on now. The future of him is being able to score the ball in the post and score the ball from the elbows. He's got an explosive first step, which I think puts big guys on their heels. As long as he can face up and make the first move, big guys have to react to him putting pressure on them.

"He's got the ability to be an elite-level defender. In pick-and-rolls, he's got great feet. He can get out and get back. And he's strong. He can guard bigger guys in the post, too. Those are things (by which) he can separate himself from other guys."

Still, the Rockets keep working on Robinson's tools, from his hands catching passes and rebounds to simple drop steps and jump hooks. In one drill, Bickerstaff drilled passes to one hand while Robinson dribbled with the other. In another, he fired shots off the rim and backboard for Robinson to track and grab. He is constantly working to get Robinson to get low, where his quickness is an advantage and he can better protect the ball.

Comfort level grows

All of which, Robinson said, is making him more confident and less hesitant.

"Any time I get a chance to get better, that's what I'm trying to do," Robinson said. "I say (the extra work) helped. I'm getting more confident in myself on the offensive end."

This is just the beginning, a "starting point," Bickerstaff said. There is a long way to go, but Robinson already has decided how to get there.

"Now and throughout the summer," he said, "any time I've got, I'm in the gym."