Rockets Lack Help From Bench in Loss vs. Timberwolves

The Houston Rockets had a few injuries that affected the lineup in last night's loss, but it doesn't change the issue of a short bench.

Dec 27, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle (30) attempts to control the ball away from Houston Rockets forward Amen Thompson (1) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Depth was something many saw as a major strength for the Houston Rockets coming into the 2024-25 NBA season. The Rockets had plenty of young players with immense potential, plus a solid group of veterans who could lead the locker room and help the team down the stretch in certain situations.

Unfortunately, depth is something that the Rockets have lacked this season. Houston's rotation has been cut short this season, with just seven players receiving at least 15 minutes per game. Last season, that number was 11.

The lack of depth was most recently displayed in last night's 113-112 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson combining for 58 points and 13 rebounds was still not enough to hold off Minnesota's comeback, and a large part of that was the lack of help from the bench.

Dillon Brooks and Tari Eason were both out due to injuries, which meant Amen Thompson got the starting job and thrived. Aside from the first five, Houston's rotation was extremely short, with Jae'Sean Tate leading the bench in minutes with just 16. Cam Whitmore got 12 minutes of action, and aside from that, no one else played double-digit minutes.

The Rockets' bench shot 4-for-12 from the field and 0-for-4 from three. Steven Adams, Reed Sheppard, and Aaron Holiday combined for 12 minutes and put up zero points, one rebound, and two assists on 0-for-1 shooting. In turn, head coach Ime Udoka gave the starters a heavy load, giving Thompson, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet 39 minutes each, with Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. playing 41 and 43 minutes, respectively.

Despite this issue, the Rockets are 21-10 with the third-best record in the Western Conference, so the lack of depth hasn't hurt them too much. However, we can't help but wonder how much better they'd be if there were an extra veteran to take the load off of the starters. Right now, Thompson and Eason are the only two significant players in the rotation outside of the starting five.

Perhaps Houston could explore the trade market with plenty of veterans available from rebuilding teams. The Rockets could bolster their bench which firmly put them in title contention this season.

Want to join the discussion? Like Rockets on SI Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Rockets news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.