Inside The Rockets

Rockets Have a Depth Problem

The Houston Rockets have a depth issue, but it's a good one to have.

Jeremy Brener

Nov 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) and forward Amen Thompson (1) react after a play during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Nov 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) and forward Amen Thompson (1) react after a play during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets have a lot of talent on the roster, but it can be tricky to figure out who will play in Ime Udoka's rotation every night.

No. 3 overall pick Reed Sheppard probably would see starters minutes on most teams in the NBA, but the youth and talent on the Rockets has pushed him to the fringe of Houston's rotation.

The same problem could also exist with last year's No. 4 overall pick Amen Thompson, but he has found ways to get on the court.

"Amen Thompson has cleared 30 minutes in each of his past two outings even though the Houston Rockets aren't dealing with any major injuries. Whoopie," Bleacher Report contributor Dan Favale writes. "Granted, the overarching sentiment from the initial overreaction stands. Rookie Reed Sheppard still isn't getting a ton of run, and Cam Whitmore may be getting phased out of the rotation. We nevertheless have bigger fish to fry."

The Rockets have been fortunate to not deal with very many injuries up until this point in the season. However, as the wear and tear of the regular season begins to take shape, the Rockets will need that depth — and eventually these good "problems" the team is facing will soon go away.

The Rockets are back in action tomorrow night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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