Can Isaiah Canaan be the future at Point guard for the Rockets?

Nov 8, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard Isaiah Canaan (0) shoots during the fourth quarter as Golden State Warriors guard Shaun Livingston (34) defends at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors Isaiah Canaan put up an impressive performance. He ended the night with 21 points on 7/12 shooting and added five rebounds.

Canaan had many Rockets fans impressed with his play Saturday night against one of the league’s top point guards in Steph Curry.  Is this the sign of a great career in the making?

Isaiah Canaan looked very confident as he knocked down big three-pointers for Houston some of the most notable came from two pull up threes where Canaan was in transition and shot one over Curry with confidence. Another one was a 20 foot three that Canaan stepped into with ease.

Saturday was just a glimpse of how productive offensively Canaan can be in the future for the Rockets. So far this season he has been averaging 15.4 points per 36 minutes and making 46 percent of his threes per 36 minutes as well. Offensively Canaan maybe the best point guard on the roster.

From a play making standpoint, Canaan will have to improve. Saturday night against the Warriors he started at point guard but only managed to finish the game with only one assist. His assist numbers will have to improve as he is only averaging 2.3 assist per 36 minutes. During the summer, Canaan showed he could be a play maker as he made numerous plays for the Rockets in summer league it is all about becoming a consistent one with the higher level of competition.

At times that maybe a little difficult for Canaan because when the Rockets are down a few players (as was the case Saturday night) expect James Harden to be more ball dominant which at times ultimately turns Canaan into a shooting guard.

Oct 22, 2014; Orlando, FL, USA; Houston Rockets guard Isaiah Canaan (0) looks to pass the ball in the fourth quarter as the Rockets beat the Orlando Magic 90-89 at Amway Center. Canaan finished with 14 points, all coming in the fourth quarter. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

The advantage Canaan has over starter Patrick Beverley is that he is a better offensive player, and in the case of this season Canaan seems to be more durable as well.

Certainly Beverley has the advantage defensively as he is a menace against opposing point guards. Canaan had some trouble defending Curry last night as he finished the game with 34 points. To Canaan’s defense, almost all guards have trouble guarding Curry.

Beverley can shell just about any starting point guard in the league. If Canaan can continue to learn from Beverley defensively and improve significantly, it is entirely possible that the Murray State continues to grow under Bev’s tutelage.

One thing Canaan has showed time and time is that he can be a deadly shooter when in a rhythm that is evident by his 46 percent of threes made. He also has enough quickness and strength to get to the basketball and make his way to the free throw line.

Canaan is only in his second season which means he has plenty of time to improve and over the course of the season. The more often Beverley is hurt, the more experience Canaan will be able to get in the starting lineup to show he is improving.

If Canaan can show the Rockets can consistently win with him starting he could be the future starter for the Rockets at point guard.