Amen vs. Reed: Who Takes the Reigns as Rockets’ Point Guard?

The young prospects on the Houston Rockets were a large reason the team won over 50 games this season. Plenty of credit must go to the team's highest paid player, Fred VanVleet, but the most intriguing factor with the Rockets is their potential for further internal improvement.

Houston is constructed to compete soon. However, VanVleet may not be on future iterations of the team as the front office attempts to create an era of consistent competitive basketball. What he provides isn't easy to recreate, but the Rockets have invested significant draft picks in two players who came into the league under the designation as point guards: Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard.

It isn't clear how the Rockets rank these players as leading point guard prospects, especially since neither truly got significant run in that position this season.

Thompson experienced that situation more frequently than Sheppard, playing meaningful basketball with the rest of the starters. Alperen Sengun developed a strong offensive chemistry with Thompson, creating easy dunks near the rim for Thompson on dish-off passes.

His role expanded last season as Head Coach Ime Udoka counted on Thompson to create more offense with the ball in his hands, especially when Jalen Green struggled during the postseason. The Rockets didn't provide enough perimeter pressure to create shots for others until Thompson began his tear later in the series.

If Houston does move forward with Thompson as point guard, he has the size and length reminiscent of MVP-caliber point guards Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His speed, athleticism, and IQ help him get to the right spots and make the right plays for his teammates. He also showed improvement with his ball handling and passing this season.

Sheppard didn't get many opportunities to play with the first team, but he took advantage of every opportunity he was given.

The Rockets have been open about their belief in Sheppard as a talented prospect, claiming he might be the most offensively gifted on the team. He projects to be a prolific shooter with the ability to snake around screens effectively and distribute the ball to his teammates.

His game may show flashes of what prime Chris Paul provided to his teams. Elite pick-and-roll handling, mid-range mastery, and effective deep-range shooting. Combined with elite passing, Sheppard has the tools of an ideal point guard in the offense.

The question is, which archetype is more valued by the Rockets? Do they prefer the defensive stalwart with the size to match up with big, opposing guards? Or do they prefer a more traditional point guard with more natural guard skills?

If the Rockets move on with Thompson as the point guard, that could open the path for players like Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason to become permanent fixtures in the starting lineup. If Sheppard becomes the point guard, Thompson will likely hold one of the wing spots with Smith Jr. and Eason still coming into games from the bench.

The Rockets have some time before they decide on their future lead guard, and they can look forward to more elite play from VanVleet should they choose to keep him. However, they'll have to decide how they want their future distributor to look beyond the current contributions of their high-priced point.