Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet is set for a long spell on the sidelines after tearing his ACL in the lead-up to training camp. This is a damaging blow to a Rockets team that was already short on quality options in the backcourt, and as things stand, this is what their new starting lineup could look like for 2025-26.
Starting Lineup: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Bench Unit: Aaron Holiday, Josh Okogie, Dorian Finney-Smith, Tari Eason, Jeff Green, Steven Adams, Clint Capela
Let’s break down this roster by position.
Point Guard
The Rockets’ listed options now at point guard are Reed Sheppard and Aaron Holiday. They could look at potential replacements for VanVleet if they shed some salary via trade, but if they don’t go down that route, you’re looking at these two and perhaps even Amen Thompson playing at the point.
Sheppard was the third pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, but didn’t have a rookie season to remember. He averaged just 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2024-25.
Sheppard did put up 19.7 points per game in his three starts, so there is at least some cause for optimism. Considering the potential upside, he should get the nod over the 28-year-old Holiday.
Holiday averaged 5.5 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.3 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game in 2024-25. He is a solid backup option, and it would be a surprise if head coach Ime Udoka inserts him in that starting lineup.
Shooting Guard
The VanVleet injury is expected to lead to Thompson playing more minutes at point guard, but he is likely to primarily feature at the shooting guard spot, with Josh Okogie backing him up.
Thompson averaged 14.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in 2024-25. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team and finished fifth in voting for DPOY.
Thompson elevates this Rockets team tremendously on the defensive end, but his most important contributions next season might be as a ball handler. It will also be interesting to see if he improves his outside shot (27.5% from three last season) even a little bit, as that would greatly benefit this offense in VanVleet’s absence.
As for Okogie, well, outside shooting isn’t a strength of his either. He put up 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns in 2024-25 while shooting 34.8% from beyond the arc. Okogie does at least further bolster the Rockets defensively.
Small Forward
We now get to the frontcourt, where the Rockets are loaded. They will have Kevin Durant starting at the three, and Dorian Finney-Smith will be the backup.
Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game for the Suns in 2024-25. An elite scorer like him is exactly what the Rockets needed, which is why they acquired him this offseason.
It would have been ideal to have a guard like VanVleet next to Durant. The injury will make his life a bit more difficult on the court, but expect him to put up big numbers yet again.
As for Finney-Smith, he put up 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets in 2024-25. He shot 41.1% from beyond the arc and is an excellent 3-and-D option off the bench.
Power Forward
The power forward rotation is one that’s likely to be the same as it was at the start of last season. Jabari Smith Jr. will return to the starting five, and he will be backed up by Tari Eason.
Smith averaged 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25. He crucially showed improvements on the defensive end, and if he can start hitting the outside shot at a better clip (35.4% last season), he would elevate this Rockets offense.
His backup, Eason, meanwhile, put up 12.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game. It was the most productive season of his career. Eason provides value on both ends of the floor and is another quality option off the bench for the Rockets.
Center
Lastly, we get to the center spot where the Rockets might have too many options. Alperen Sengun is the unquestioned starter, and he’ll be backed up by veterans Steven Adams and Clint Capela.
Sengun averaged 19.1 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game in 2024-25. He made the All-Star team for the first time in his career and will be the second most important player on offense behind Durant.
Sengun’s backups aren’t much of a factor offensively, but Adams and Capela can rebound and defend the rim.
Adams averaged 3.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.4 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game for the Rockets in 2024-25. As for Capela, he put up 8.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game for the Atlanta Hawks.
You’d reckon the Rockets probably should have gotten in a guard instead of Capela. They decided to lean into being a big team, and you wonder if there is a little bit of regret now following VanVleet’s injury.
In all, though, this is still a pretty good team, but the Rockets’ chances of winning it all have taken a hit because of VanVleet’s injury. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the 31-year-old’s absence over the course of the season.
