Bill Simmons says the quiet part out loud about Rockets' playoff hopes

As the Houston Rockets prepare to enter the 2025-26 NBA season, their sights are almost certainly set on somehow mounting a run at a championship even without starting point guard Fred VanVleet.

Yet, despite their blockbuster offseason acquisition of Kevin Durant, The Ringer's Bill Simmons has serious doubts about the team's viability as it stands, and, according to his recent comments on his podcast, he is concerned about the team's ability to beat the Western Conference's best teams in the playoffs without having a bona-fide ball handler.

Although Houston is still poised to be highly competitive this season, the injury to VanVleet could be devastating to their offensive ceiling, and Simmons's comments hit on the anxieties that should be in the forefront of Rockets' fans minds entering the season.

Fred VanVleet's absence could kill the Rockets' playoff chances

Although he saw a dip in production last season, VanVleet's presence became even more important to Houston's struggling half-court offense. Through 60 games, VanVleet averaged 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists.

More importantly, however, he represented the team's only experienced ball-handler, allowing the team to maintain some semblance of spacing as they leaned into their larger lineups in order to maximize their defensive versatility.

Now, as Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard prepare to take over this role in some combination, Simmons has serious doubts as to the ultimate viability of this move: "When we get to these playoffs and you have to play [the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Minnesota Timberwolves], and you don't have a true ball-handler, I'm just going to be nervous."

With how deep the Western Conference is poised to be this season, and how talented the juggernauts at the top of the conference are, Simmons has a serious point. Although utilizing Thompson and Sheppard at the point guard spot could give the Rockets enough breathing room to perform well during the regular season, the amped up defensive intensity of the playoffs could put a massive strain on these players' relatively limited passing abilities.

Against a team like the Thunder, who have several excellent point of attack defenders and can afford to put constant pressure on opposing teams' lead ball handlers, Houston could be in serious trouble even with the superstar scoring of Durant on their side.

Therefore, although there is still time for them to eventually add a more experienced guard before the playoffs, Simmons concerns are well-founded given the lack of experience that both Thompson and Sheppard have with facing such pressure.