It took just one game for the Rockets to get desperate in Vanvleet's absence

As the Houston Rockets enter the preseason, their biggest priority is sorting out how they will configure their backcourt in the absence of starting point guard Fred VanVleet.

Even before VanVleet fell to an ACL injury in a team mini-camp late this offseason, the depth of the team's backcourt was questionable at best, and, now that he is likely out for the season, inexperienced guards Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard will be the first tapped to attempt to step into this role.

Yet, last year's G-League MVP and sneaky offseason signing, JD Davison, got significant run in Houston's first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, showcasing the fact that head coach Ime Udoka might give a genuine chance to every guard on the roster to take on a rotational role to supplement these players.

JD Davison made the most of his first opportunity with the Rockets

Davison, 23, spent the first three years of his NBA career primarily as a two-way player with the Boston Celtics, taking on huge volume as a score-first guard with the Celtics' G-League affiliate. Last season, en route to taking home the G-League MVP award, Davison averaged 25.1 points, 7.5 assists 5.2 rebounds through 30 games.

Yet, when the Celtics waived him this offseason, he joined Houston on a two-way contract, providing the Rockets with further depth on their roster.

Nevertheless, Davison projected to be exactly that, an end-of-roster depth player, and the fact that he got significant run in the team's first preseason game could be a major sign of the wide-open nature of the team's backcourt at the moment.

Through 22 minutes, Davison posted 17 points, three rebounds and four assists, shooting 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and getting serious run as a point guard for this team.

Moreover, he looked utterly unafraid to take his shots, knocking down multiple looks from beyond the arc:

He also seemed comfortable as a playmaker, driving into the paint and kicking it to his teammates routinely throughout the game.

While players such as Aaron Holiday and Josh Okogie still sit ahead of him on the depth chart, Davison has the chance to crack the rotation with a strong performance in the preseason.

Even if he is unable to crack the rotation initially, a series of strong performances in the G-League, like what he strung together last season, could give the Rockets no choice but to give him run in the regular season if players such as Sheppard struggle initially to take on larger roles.

Therefore, although Houston's wide-open approach to determining their backcourt heirarchy became evident in their first preseason game, Davison's performance comes away as a shining moment from the first action the team has seen in months.