Projecting The Houston Rockets Rotation For 2024-25 NBA Season

The lineup and rotation could get tricky for the Houston Rockets.

Nov 8, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green (4) reacts to his basket while forward Jae'Sean Tate (8) and guard Aaron Holiday (0) look on against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets are an odd team to try and project for the 2024-25 NBA season.

There are plenty of teams around the NBA with rotations that are tough to project for the upcoming season, but none are tougher than the Rockets. Houston head coach Ime Udoka will be facing the challenge as the club has a blend of youth and win-now talents.

The franchise needs to choose a direction either way, as they'll either need to lean into a youth movement and focus on the development of their young core, or they need to decide to try and build a contender, which will see a chunk of the young core be moved.

To have a split timeline for a fringe playoff team isn't fair to the players ready to compete for championships during their prime or the young players looking to carve out a career for themselves and maximize their potential.

So, a rough starting lineup starts with Fred VanVleet, a fringe All-Star that the Rockets paid quite a bit to come to Houston. Rising star Jalen Green can't be left out, though. There's plenty to be figured out as it pertains to his potential efficiency and ability to be an engine of the offense.

Reed Sheppard and Amen Thompson will back those two up, meaning three of the four guards in the rotation are pieces of the young core. Using Aaron Holiday's guard abilities allows the use of Thompson as a wing, though he can play positionless basketball and mold into any lineup.

At the wing, there are players like Dillon Brooks, who seems to be a lock as a win-now player with three-and-D capabilities. Jabari Smith Jr. is a young prospect with plenty of growth to do and who also helps anchor the defense while stretching the floor.

Cam Whitmore and Tari Eason are two young guys who will need to be slotted into the wing rotation, too. They're unlikely to take a starting spot in the short term, but they both make interesting long-term prospects in Houston.

Heading to the center position, there are three rotation-level talents on the roster. Alperen Sengun, a fringe All-Star, will be the starter. Steven Adams and Jock Landale will battle for the bench minutes, too.

There will be depth battles throughout camp at different positions, and there are still players like A.J. Griffin and Jae'Sean Tate who will be lost in the mix as the team can only truly play 10 or 11 players most nights, and a consistently revolving rotation doesn't seem ideal for a team that wants to make the postseason.

For Udoka, the rotation will be complicated, and training camp could play a big role as to what players get burn off the bench next season.

To uncomplicate things, the Rockets will need to pick a direction for the club to go. In the meantime, Houston will have to try and string together a rotation to help will the team to the playoffs.

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