Could Rockets Switch Up Starting Lineup?

The Houston Rockets may not have a starting lineup set in stone.

Oct 15, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Jamal Cain (8) handles the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images / Erik Williams-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets trotted out a familiar starting lineup in their first game against the Charlotte Hornets as Fred VanVleet, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperen Sengun were on the floor when the ball was tipped, much like many of the games last year.

However, there are two top-four picks from the past two drafts coming off the bench in Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard who could ultimately crack the starting five this season.

"Spacing challenges in mind, Thompson looks the part of a monster driver, defender and off-ball opportunist. There remains more to plumb with his playmaking and overall ball-handling. Those parts of his game are conceptually easier to explore off the bench, when he's more staggered than Şengün. But there is no way it's the long-term plan," Bleacher Report contributor Dan Favale writes. "Much of the same goes for Sheppard. Starting him over Green, Brooks or FVV flies in the face of rookie-veteran and paygrade politics. But his on- and off-ball threat level, coupled with his try-hard stamina on defense, has already translated so well he would be viewed as a Rookie of the Year formality if he were guaranteed to log enough minutes."

Injuries will happen, but the Rockets may decide to experiment with a few different lineups to see what works best and what doesn't.

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