Rockets Looking To Get A Strong Start To Preseason

The Houston Rockets are hoping to get a strong start to their season with quality play in the preseason. The Rockets are set to take on the Atlanta Hawks as both teams enter their respective seasons with high expectations in the conference. The Rockets are going into the season with championship hopes, and they must mesh together as quickly as possible to ensure a hot start to their season.

While the preseason does not generally feature the highest level of competition, it will be the first look at some of the critical areas of the team that will be integral to the team's success throughout the season.

One major question for the Rockets is who will take on the primary ball-handling duties for a team that is suddenly without its lead guard with Fred VanVleet's injury.

The Rockets are hoping either Amen Thompson or Reed Sheppard can step into that role and make a solid impact.

Thompson was drafted as a guard, showing some passing ability and playmaking throughout his seasons with OTE. Sheppard was selected with some of the best point guard skills from his draft.

If either player can increase their level of play and effectively run the offense, Houston may not be as limited as once expected after VanVleet's injury.

The Rockets could limit the impact of VanVleet's absence even more by leaning into the playmaking abilities of Alperen Sengun. This year's EuroBasket tournament showed Sengun is capable of leading an offense at a high level. He proved his abilities against some of the best national teams in the world, including a victory against a Nikola Jokic-led Serbian team.

Sengun should be able to create for both Thompson and Sheppard, while also creating open shots for Kevin Durant and Jabari Smith Jr.

The answers to Houston's playmaking questions may not be found in one single player. The entire team may have to combine its efforts to move the ball and keep opposing defenses off balance. The Rockets have lived by the equal opportunity philosophy on offense throughout the recent competitive seasons.

While Durant is the clear best offensive option and Sengun is the clear second-best option, the Rockets could still benefit from spreading the ball around and getting as many options as possible in each possession.

There aren't many questions surrounding the Rockets this season after a strong offseason. However, the offense could be what slows down the team's progress as a contender. The preseason will be the first look at what the offense looks like without Houston's lead ball handler.