4 Potential Lineup Options for Rockets Following Injury to Fred VanVleet

All offseason, we've heard about the Houston Rockets' depth problem. (In a good way).

They've got loads of depth. On the wing, especially.

Even after parting with an All-Star caliber wing in Jalen Green and an All-Defensive caliber wing in Dillon Brooks, who were sent to Phoenix in the blockbuster deal that saw Kevin Durant change coasts this summer.

Houston still has All-Defensive wing Amen Thompson, as well. And Tari Eason, who Houston is reportedly trying to give a new deal.

The lack of depth has been at the point guard position, all the while.

That issue is even bigger now, with the untimely injury to Fred VanVleet, the Rockets' leader. Houston has very limited options, as it pertains to adding a replacement not already on the roster.

The team is only $1.2 million under the first apron. There's no way around the hard cap.

Houston doesn't even have cap space to dole out the vet minimum.

And Houston doesn't have any open roster spots, with Josh Okogie occupying the last and final roster spot.

Sure, Houston can move Clint Capela on December 15 (or any of Houston's free agent signees from the summer), but that would be 21 games into the season. The season would be a quarter of the way over.

Would a new player get acclimated without any chemistry? That doesn't always work.

And furthermore, you'd likely have figured out an alternative by then. 

Tari Eason is another trade possibility. He's in the last year of his rookie deal, on a $5.7 million number. 

Reed Sheppard is as well, but trading him would seem unwise, for a number of reasons. For starters, he doesn't hold much trade value at the moment. He didn't play much as a rookie, thus remains a question mark heading into year two. Also, Houston needs the point guard depth.

They don't want to give a considerable role to Aaron Holiday -- although there's likely not any real way around that. 

So that brings us back to Eason, as it pertains to adding an outside body. Again, Houston has wing depth.

However, the most likely course of action is to put Amen Thompson at the point guard spot, which has been his original and natural position, prior to joining Houston. 

His handle and inability to shoot present challenges but he more than makes up for that with his athleticism and elite, suffocating defense. This was going to be the long-term course of action anyways, eventually. 

This injury just speeds that timeline up.

Rockets Lineup #1

Houston can stick with the double-big lineup, with Thompson, Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams.

That's a formidable lineup. Although the long-term shooting is a major question mark, no team would be able to contend with Houston's size. 

We've seen the Sengun-Adams pairing before and it was very effective, as Houston garnered extra possessions. And that was without Durant.

This seems like the most natural, likely course of action, although Houston's roster optionality gives Rockets coach Ime Udoka other options.

Rockets Lineup #2

Another lineup option is Thompson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Durant, Smith Jr. and Sengun.

Finney-Smith would fill the Dillon Brooks role as a 3-and-D master -- which is why he was brought to Houston in the first place. And he's been a starter on title-contending teams before.

Another option, the least likely option of all, involves Eason.

Tari Eason Starting Lineups

For example: Thompson, Eason, Durant, Smith and Sengun. Or Thompson, Eason, Finney-Smith, Durant and Sengun.

Again, Houston has options. But even if Eason (or Sheppard) is moved, which we haven't yet heard Houston's plans to move either player or make either player available, they'd still be starting Thompson over whoever they'd acquire. 

So the double-big lineup with Thompson running point is likely what we're going to see. This means Houston will have a very good second unit, featuring Eason, Sheppard, and Finney-Smith.

This is still a playoff roster. The trio of Thompson, Durant, and Sengun was just ranked as the league's fourth-best Big Three. 

They'd likely feel the brunt of VanVleet's absence in the postseason, especially based on how well he played in last year’s postseason.