The Houston Rockets have a point guard problem. Well, not really. At times, it’s been mitigated.
Other times, it’s stuck out like a sore thumb.
The better way to coin it is that they have a point guard deficit.
Fred VanVleet would’ve been perfect with this version of the Rockets’ offense but Ime Udoka won’t have that luxury.
The Rockets usually run their actions through Alperen Sengun, especially in the half court and it’s worked quite well.
However, Amen Thompson as the team’s full-time point guard has generated mixed results. Especially against good teams.
The Rockets have the second-best offense, by the numbers.
On most nights, the approach works well.
When playing teams that apply real ball pressure, VanVleet’s absence sticks out. Like the opening day loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
And Friday night’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Reed Sheppard’s play has been much better of late and his outside shooting has lived up to the hype from when he was in college, to the tune of 10.6 points on 45.2 percent from deep (on 5.3 attempts).
And he’s improved some as a facilitator, dishing a beautiful bounce pass to Steven Adams during the Spirs game.
But it’s been in spurts. The Rockets will clearly need a formidable point guard to get past the Thunder (and elite teams).
CBS Sports NBA insider Ashley Nicole Moss suggests Houston make a move, using backup center Clint Capela as trade bait.
“Rockets gotta trade Capela for a PG … they got him outta greed anyway”
Capela alone will likely not get the Rockets a needle-mover, as he’s only making $6.7 million. He also likely doesn’t have tremendous value at this point of his career.
It’s also worth clarifying the Capela signing, as it wasn’t out of “greed”.
The double-big lineup helped the Rockets get extra offensive possessions last season, which was useful for a relatively middle of the pack offense in 2024-25 and Steven Adams was a key cog in the machine.
(And has been even more so this season).
But at 32-years-old and in his 12th season, he can’t be relied upon to physically manage a nightly 30 minute workload. Especially when considering his history of injuries to his lower extremities.
The Rockets were going to need to add another big man for when Adams needs to rest and/or isn’t on the floor.
It’s also worth noting that a Capela deal couldn’t happen until December 15th, per the CBA.
