The Houston Rockets badly need their starting lineup back

Your Houston Rockets have now dropped 5 consecutive contests.

Thursday's loss to the Timberwolves was closer than the score suggests. This one was neck-in-neck until Anthony Edwards decided he'd had enough. He took over with a flurry of offense in the fourth quarter to seal this one for the Pups.

Still, the Rockets' flaws were on full display. This did not look like a team poised to win a playoff series.

At least they weren't playing with a full deck

The Rockets need their full starting lineup

During this 5-game skid, the Rockets have been without Jabari Smith Jr. and Fred VanVleet. They're both players who have important functional roles on the Rockets.

VanVleet is the team's stabilizer. He's a game manager. When the Rockets' offense is sputtering, they know they can run it through VanVleet and at least avoid turnovers.

Smith Jr.'s absence is largely being felt on the defensive end. Alperen Sengun has improved defensively this year, but he remains limited. It's easier for him to defend at the level - where he's most impactful - when Smith Jr.'s weakside rim protection is on the floor.

Amen Thompson will make several All-Defensive teams in this league. Still, he's a different type of defender than Smith Jr. Thompson is best when he can roam and disrupt. Smith Jr.'s superior length gives him more functionality as a weakside helper on the interior. The best version of this Rockets team likely has the two of them sharing the forward spots.

So, the Rockets are down two starters. They're feeling their absence.

Is it concerning to be so reliable on them?

Rockets' future is still unclear

Yes and no.

There's nothing wrong with relying on Smith Jr. He was the team's third overall pick in the 2022 draft. His production hasn't taken the shape that fans expect from a high lottery pick. Still, he's a building block for the next decade if the Rockets want him to be one.

By contrast, the team's reliance on VanVleet remains a concern. He is not part of this team's young core. VanVleet is likely to remain with the Rockets for some time. It feels like there's a cultural cohesion between him and Ime Udoka.

That's fine. VanVleet is a heady floor general with a lot of valuable skills. He can be part of this team for some time, but if he's their starting point guard next season, it ought to be his last season in that role.

For the time being, it feels like the Rockets can't win without him.