Inside The Rockets

Rockets Must Find Right Lineup Combos

The Houston Rockets will play around with lineups throughout the season.

Jeremy Brener

Apr 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka coaches against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka coaches against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
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The Houston Rockets have a bevy of young talent on the roster, more than what most teams can boast.

With seven first-round picks still on rookie deals, there's a lot of mouths to feed and not enough minutes to play all of them their deserved amount.

Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes believes the biggest test for the Rockets will be their ability to find out which lineups work best.

"The Houston Rockets have seven legitimately intriguing prospects still playing on their rookie contracts. The key to success this season may be determining which of them bring out the best in the others when sharing the floor," Hughes writes. "This is an issue that affects not only the upcoming season but also the ones beyond it. Both Alperen Sengün and Jalen Green are eligible for extensions now, and Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason will come due next summer. After them, Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore can add new money in 2026. Those six players, plus rookie Reed Sheppard, won't all be on the Rockets forever."

The Rockets have a competitive bunch jockeying for positioning in the future hierarchy and playing time. However, all of the players have a long-term goal of bringing this Rockets team to new, undiscovered heights.

It will be up to coach Ime Udoka to manage all of these players and figure out which fivesomes work best on the floor.

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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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