Houston Rockets Face Point Guard Dilemma Amid Mixed Results

HOUSTON, Texas — The Houston Rockets are struggling to find a consistent point guard. Despite some successes, the situation has exposed a clear point guard deficit, limiting their offensive effectiveness.

Fred VanVleet would have fit perfectly with the Rockets’ offensive style, but head coach Ime Udoka doesn’t have that option this season. Instead, the team relies heavily on Alperen Sengun to run plays, particularly in half-court situations.

Unfortunately, the full-time role of point guard falling on Amen Thompson has yielded mixed results, particularly against stronger opponents. Despite ranking as the second-best offense statistically, challenges arise during games against teams that apply significant ball pressure, as seen in their opening day loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and a recent defeat against the San Antonio Spurs.

Rookie Reed Sheppard has shown improvement, contributing 10.6 points per game with an impressive shooting percentage of 45.2% from three-point range. He has also developed as a facilitator, notably assisting Steven Adams with a well-placed bounce pass against the Spurs. However, Sheppard’s contributions have been inconsistent.

For the Rockets to compete effectively against elite teams like the Thunder, they clearly need a stronger point guard. CBS Sports NBA insider Ashley Nicole Moss suggested trading backup center Clint Capela as a possible solution. “Rockets gotta trade Capela for a PG … they got him outta greed anyway,” Moss stated.

However, trading Capela may not yield a standout player, as he is only earning $6.7 million and may not hold significant value at this stage in his career. While the initial signing of Capela was questioned, it actually aided the Rockets’ offensive strategy last season, allowing for more offensive possessions and supporting their middle-of-the-pack performance.

Capela, at 32 years old and in his 12th season, cannot be expected to handle a regular 30-minute workload, especially considering his injury history. As a result, the Rockets must search for an additional big man to support Adams when he is not on the court.

Notably, any potential trade involving Capela cannot occur until December 15th, as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).