Postseason Starters Still Unclear For The Rockets

The Houston Rockets have just one more game before they begin postseason play, and the they are hoping to find out which combination of players to slot into their starting lineup to compete against either the Denver Nuggets or the Los Angeles Lakers.

At the end of the season, the Rockets have experimented between three main players to add with their normal starting lineup of Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Şengün.

Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, and Josh Okogie have all gotten opportunities to start in this final week of the season. Head Coach Ime Udoka has played his cards close to the vest as the team determines who of those three players can best give the Rockets an opportunity to win in the postseason.

Each of those players provides a different layer to the team that could help the team in the playoffs. But they each have factors that could hurt the team as well.

Tari Eason has gotten the most starting opportunities out of that trio, starting the season off with the hottest shooting stretch of his career. His shooting has fallen off in recent months, but the Rockets benefit from his pesky defense and constant presence on that end of the floor.

He helps the team become much more switchable defensively, and his offensive rebounding is a major part of Houston's gameplan as they still rebound at a high rate, despite an injury to Steven Adams.

Eason's major flaw is his tendency to gamble on defense and his serious cold streak on offense. The Rockets can't afford to use multiple possessions on missed shots from the mid range and beyond the arc.

Reed Sheppard can stretch the floor from beyond the arc at a high rate, making a number of three-pointers every game and creating offense with his ball handling.

He has been one of the best pick-and-roll ball handlers on the team, expertly navigating through screens and getting into spots in the middle of the floor.

Offensively, he might be the best option for the fifth starter, but his defense still leaves much to be desired, despite his increased effort.

Okogie is a bit of a mix between Eason and Sheppard. He doesn't have much ball handling ability, but he plays quality on-ball defense and he can stretch the floor at a decent rate.

Any of these players could see time in the starting lineup during the postseason, but the most ideal version of the starters might not be revealed until closer to the start of the playoffs.