It's not even training camp but Rockets already have a Dorian Finney-Smith problem

The Houston Rockets have less than one week until media day and training camp commence. And yet, they already have a dilemma concerning Dorian Finney-Smith — Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are both going to be vying for minutes in a similar role.

This is just the reality when your roster is constructed with multiple guys who bring an established three-and-D type skillset to the table. There was always going to be competition at training camp between players looking to beat out their peers for roles, but this is one of those situations where it's as obvious as ever that there's only so many minutes to go around.

As for what Finney-Smith has going for himself, he brings more years under his belt than Thompson or Eason. What does that mean? He's going to be more versed in defensive schemes, have more playoff experience to his name, and have the potential to be more consistent in his role.

With that being said, there's a certain balance you have to strike here with trying to play these guys in the right roles. If DFS takes too many minutes, it could run the risk of potentially stunting the development of Amen or Tari, or disrupting the team's chemistry.

The Rockets must balance DFS, Thompson and Eason

One thing that is probably working in Finney-Smith's favor at the moment is his offensive polish. Amen is certainly still developing when it comes to creating his own offense, and the Rockets need as much shooting power as they can get. There are going to be lineups where Ime Udoka needs to roll with Dorian to provide more floor-spacing.

There's also still just a bit more uncertainty when it comes to how well the two younger guys will produce. Houston clearly added Finney-Smith as an established veteran to provide insurance for the less-developed players and to help keep this team toward the top of the Western Conference standings throughout the regular season.

At the same time, there's always the risk that adding a guy like DFS could turn into over-relying on him if you're not careful. As talented as Amen Thompson and Tari Eason are, they could end up taking more of a backseat than needed if they're not prioritized in their own ways.

We're going to have to see over the course of the year whether Finney-Smith's veteran presence is going to be worth the minutes over Amen's energy and Eason's potential. This is the challenge the coaching staff finds itself presented with.

Overall, the Rockets are going to have to figure out how to walk the line between leaning on the steady production of Dorian Finney-Smith and continuing to give their young core room to grow. How Udoka balances these competing factors could play a significant part in determining where this team ultimately finishes.