Rockets' Reed Sheppard Raising Starting Lineup Questions as Season Nears end

Last offseason, following a flurry of transactional activity by general manager Rafael Stone and company, the Houston Rockets were deemed one of the most complete teams in the association. Many were deeming the Rockets' roster as the league's deepest, from top to bottom.

And it made sense, as we'd heard Rockets coach Ime Udoka continuously point out the Rockets' wealth of optionality, as it pertains to lineups and rotations. The Rockets had a center room that ran three deep, with Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams and Clint Capela.

Not many could make that claim. And they were loaded on the wing, which has become one of the most valuable skillsets, in many ways. Houston had Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, Amen Thompson, Jae’Sean Tate and Dorian Finney-Smith, who the Rockets prioritized in free agency. It became clear that the Rockets had four of the center spots penciled in, between Durant, Smith, Thompson and Sengun.

The fifth spot has been up for grabs. We've seen it filled by Adams, Josh Okogie, Capela, Eason and Reed Sheppard.

Lately, it's been Sheppard, who the Rockets fanbase has been clamoring for. Sheppard's starts had all been due to another one of the Rockets' starters being out, due to injury. Up until recently.

Eason's struggles were blatant. And impossible to ignore.

He'd gone 10 games of not making any of his outside attempts in less than a 30-day span. The drought included seven games in a row.

Eventually, Udoka decided to pull Eason out of the starting lineup, in favor of Sheppard. For the last six games, Sheppard has started, when the Rockets were at full strength.

But how much longer will this substitution remain in place? The lineup change comes with challenges, as outlined and illustrated by Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey.

"Moving Reed Sheppard into the starting lineup answered some offensive questions," Bailey wrote. "His shooting and playmaking undoubtedly help on that end. And when he shares the floor with Durant and Alperen Şengün, Houston scores 120.0 points per 100 possessions (a mark that ranks in the 84th percentile leaguewide).

"But that same trio has an abysmal 124.1 defensive rating. That has to be tough for the defensive-minded Ime Udoka to accept, especially after all three were on the floor for most of a 15-0 Minnesota Timberwolves run in Wednesday's overtime loss."

Bailey continued, noting Houston's seemingly inevitable fate.

"If the Rockets can't figure out, in the next couple weeks, which combination of players allows them to succeed on both ends, they could be in for a quick playoff run."

The good news is that Eason's struggles seem to be past him. He's gone for 15 points and 16 points in Houston's last two games and even went 3-of-5 from the outside during Sunday's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

All told, this is a great problem to have, although there are opposing trade offs between Eason and Sheppard on opposite ends of the floor.