The Houston Rockets are loaded with top-notch young talent. That would have seemed almost unbelievable five years ago, when they were a veteran-led club and one of the oldest teams in the league.
It wasn’t that long ago that 37-year-old Tyson Chandler was a starter in his 19th season. It wasn’t that long ago that 36-year-old Nene was playing on a contending team.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea.
Times have changed. And the franchise has managed to get rid of some very good players through the draft, like Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore and Reed Sheppard.
The hardest part is finding playing time for everyone. That was a little easier for Rockets coach Ime Udoka last season, due to injuries. Assuming the Rockets are fully healthy, that will become much more difficult this season. And according to Mike Shearer of Basketball Poetry, the Rockets’ rotation questions could dominate this season’s storylines.
“I have a good opinion of almost every Rockets player, individually. But there are too many things to consider. Houston has so much budding talent that playing some of them will inevitably stunt the growth of others, like trees fighting for the same patches of sunlight in a forest. It’s a good problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless.”
Honestly, I’m not sure how this is all going to play out. Aside from the various trials and tribulations of title contenders, the Rockets’ player development and rotation could be the most interesting story in the league next season. There are so many interesting setups to try, and it’s up to Udoka to figure out how to maximize everyone.
As Shearer points out, this is a problem that can be nice to have. It only happens if you have a good draft.
Which the Rockets certainly did.
This also means that training camp and team practices will be even more competitive as players battle for minutes and compete to prove they deserve playing time.
At least it will make every player better. In the end, iron will always sharpen iron.
It will be interesting to see what Udoka has planned, lineups and rotations wise.
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