The Houston Rockets' Championship Hopes Hinge Upon Their Bench

The Houston Rockets' offseason moves have been extremely emblematic of one thing above all: they are in win-now mode. The acquisition of all-time great forward Kevin Durant is a good start. Instantly, he adds shooting, improves the spacing and can serve as the scoring threat that the Rockets have been devoid of. But beyond just their fearsome starting lineup with Durant at the helm, it is the Rockets' bench that will truly dictate their contention hopes.

Fortunately, the Rockets have made several moves to improve their bench this offseason. Most prominently, they signed Dorian Finney-Smith, Josh Okogie, and Clint Capela.

A sought after 3&D wing, DFS will greatly benefit the Rockets as he'll provide yet another remedy to the Rockets' 3-point shooting struggles and will fit seamlessly in the Rockets' defensive scheme. And though Okogie is offensively limited, his strong perimeter and point-of-attack defense will make him another solid addition to the Rockets' bench.

The Capela signing, however, does seem redundant. Capela doesn't add anything the Rockets don't already have. Especially when considering that Steven Adams has already proved himself as a more than worthy backup big. The manner in which Adams' skillset has translated with the Rockets, particularly in the playoffs against the Warriors, truly makes a player like Capela futile in the grand scheme of things. With that being said, the Capela signing is still a positive in the sense that it adds more depth to an already deep roster while also depriving other teams of a potential big.

The Rockets' offseason moves shine light on the front office's expectations of the squad. One notable aspect is the FO's decision to not pursue a primary ball-handler that could lead the bench unit. Whereas last season Amen Thompson grew into that role, his recent promotion to the starting lineup leaves that role unfilled. With the FO not acquiring a backup guard who could fill this role, the Rockets will need Reed Sheppard to grow significantly.

Whether Sheppard will be to accomplish this is uncertain. Last season, he was in one of the most unique situations a rookie prospect can be in. He was on a Rockets team which had no scarcity of assets and thus ended up being a minuscule part of the rotation.

In his very limited minutes, Sheppard averaged a dreadful 4.4 ppg and 1.4 apg on 35.1 FG%. However, his stats as a starter portray a very different picture. In his three games as a starter, Sheppard averaged 19.7 ppg and 4.7 apg on 48.9 FG% and 52 3P%. Impressively enough, Sheppard's career high of 25 points came against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who went on to win the championship.

With the sample size being so small, it goes without saying that Sheppard's starts should be taken with a grain of salt. At the same time, it's not unreasonable to assert that these starts could be a positive sign of what is to come. The Rockets do not need Reed Sheppard to grow anywhere close to the same extent that Amen Thompson did last year. They just need him to be comfortable and efficient at the guard position when either Thompson or Fred VanVleet are not on the floor.

Sheppard's evolution along with contributions from bench players such as Tari Eason, DFS, and Steven Adams will be what truly sets apart the Rockets from other aspiring contenders. Depth has proven time and time again to be integral in the playoffs, especially when legs start to get tired.

With a 36-year-old Kevin Durant steering the ship, it will be vital for the Rockets' starters and their bench alike to do all they can to take the burden off his shoulders. Or else the Rockets could find themselves in an ordeal like the Phoenix Suns were during Durant's stint.