Ime Udoka says the words every Rockets fan wanted to hear

It's officially Media Day for the Houston Rockets. It didn't take Ime Udoka long to say the words every Rockets fan was looking to hear.

"You look at Amen, you look at Reed, those guys are going to...handle the ball a lot more"

- Ime Udoka

Those aren't the words every Rockets fan wanted to hear all summer. Before Fred VanVleet's injury, some fans may have loathed that sentence. They'd argue that neither young player was ready for primary ball-handling responsibilities.

Other fans had already been eager to hear this. They didn't want the Rockets to sacrifice developmental measures for wins. What was the point of accumulating so many young players if they weren't going to use them?

No matter where you stood, VanVleet's injury changes the calculus. The Rockets don't have many trade or free agency options. They mostly have to work with what they have. Udoka has indicated that that's the plan:

How will it look?

Rockets will have multiple styles of play this year

Udoka touched on that on Media Day as well.

He referred to Reed Sheppard as one of the most "cerebral" players on the team. He then highlighted Amen Thompson's outlier athleticism and his ability to generate fastbreak points.

It sounded like Udoka was hinting at different styles of play. The team may look to probe in the half-court when Sheppard mans the point, and push the pace when it's Amen. That sounds like a formula for success:

But it won't be easy to implement.

Rockets will still miss VanVleet

That's another reality Udoka has come to terms with. He mentioned VanVleet's professionalism and the reality that nobody on the roster will be able to replace it.

Thompson and Sheppard are both immensely talented. They are also young. VanVleet is the highest-paid undrafted player in NBA history, and he's been around for a long time. He is irreplaceable.

Still, there were always two solutions to his absence. One was to give more ball-handling duties to Thompson and Sheppard. The other was to replace VanVleet via trade. No matter which solution you preferred, you were clamoring to know which direction the organization was taking as a Rockets fan.

Now, you've got your answer. For the time being, it seems the Rockets will lean on Thompson and Sheppard. They could re-evaluate if they're not satisfied by the trade deadline, but don't look for them to make a blockbuster deal any time soon:

For some Rockets fans, that's exactly what they wanted to hear.