4 players facing roster cuts for Rockets' final spot

It's never a great idea to put alot of stock into the preseason, so I won't do that now. Teams don't usually show much and star players don't play extended minutes, which leads to clunky rotations and/or lineups that aren't likely to be utilized during the season.

So we shouldn't put *too* much stock into the Rockets' 4-1 preseason showing. With that being said, one thing stood out that is likely to continue as the season progresses: tenacious defense.

Granted, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that the Rockets were anchoring down on opponents on that end of the floor, as that's Ime Udoka's calling. The dude is a genius in that department.

Hell, just listen to him explain how the Rockets were able to contain Victor Wembanyama to a 3-for-10 shooting night, along with two turnovers in a little over 20 minutes of gameplay. However, the Rockets ranked second in defensive efficiency in the preseason, after finishing 29th in the same category last season.

4 potential cutdown options for the Rockets prior to Monday

Needless to say, the standards have been raised. And the expectations of the team are high, specifically internally, as they've set their sights on making the playoffs. The Rockets will have to trim their roster down to to 15 players by Monday night, which is the league's roster cutdown date.

As the Rockets have 16 players in the fold, they face a tough decision in identifying which player to part with. Let's make it easy for the Rockets' brass and identify four potential options for the franchise .