Draymond Green says the quiet part out loud about the state of the Rockets' roster

As the Houston Rockets have begun to trend upwards, settling at a 2-2 record after four games, the team has also begun to iron out some of the wrinkles in their play that have come in the absence of their starting point guard, Fred VanVleet.

Yet, no matter what, people will still have doubts about the Rockets' ceiling without a bona-fide floor general on their roster, and a noted rival of the organization, Draymond Green, chipped in with his personal take on the recent episode of his podcast.

"To expect [the Rockets] to contend without Fred VanVleet, like, I just think you're fooling yourself... You need elite guard play to win in the playoffs. And Fred is elite."

Draymond Green- The Draymond Green Show

The Rockets will have a difficult time contending without a bona-fide point guard

As the Rockets entered the season, their lack of backcourt depth was already a major concern for anyone paying close attention to the formation of their roster. However, when VanVleet got hurt, this issue grew into one that potentially could be disastrous.

Even with a superstar caliber scorer in Kevin Durant on the roster, the team is certainly going to miss what VanVleet brought, and Green, as the ultimate competitor, gives him his flowers. Apart from just being an exceedingly capable ball-handler, VanVleet has been a leader, an intense defender, and a viable perimeter shooter in both of the seasons he's played for Houston.

Moreover, neither Amen Thompson nor Reed Sheppard have looked to be getting particularly comfortable in their increased offensive workloads. Sengun, as the team's primary playmaker, has looked great, but he cannot be expected to take on his normal scoring load and also shoulder the burden of facilitating the offense for the entire season.

Therefore, as painful as it might be to admit, Green has a serious point: one that Rockets fans might actively be trying to stay ignorant of the validity of.

While the team has started to find its flow on offense, and still projects to have a solid regular season, the playoffs is where these weaknesses really start to get exploited. If, by the time the first round rolls around, neither Thompson nor Sheppard has made the leap to being a truly reliable and dynamic playmaker, opposing teams will be able to capitalize upon such a glaring flaw.

It's difficult to say where the Rockets could end up this season given their remarkable versatility and the physical edge they will have over many other teams. However, it is undeniable that Green, and many others, may be detailing what could be the most likely reality for this team this season: to fall flat as a result of sub-par guard play.