How will Josh Christopher's role be impacted in the second half of the season?

Josh Christopher has quickly emerged as a key contributor for the Houston Rockets, but with the team's recent acquisition of Dennis Schröder, will his level of productivity decrease?

Once projected to be taken in the second round of the 2021 NBA Draft, the late first-round pick (23rd overall) has blossomed as the team's sixth man. Christopher, over the last two months, has averaged 12.8 points per game while shooting 35% on 3-pointers.

Although the statistics appear pedestrian, Christopher has shown growth on the defensive end and has provided Houston with another shot creator. Addressing two areas of concern for Christopher coming out of Arizona State.

At only 20-years old, he has climbed up the rookie ladder over the last few weeks. While not being selected for the Rising Stars Game, Christopher's frustration, via Twitter, is with merit.

Before the season, Christopher was not expected to see any significant playing time due to the fact the team had two other veterans ahead of him. His time in the background was short-lived. He only participated in the G League for a week, and the Rockets recalled him quickly after a significant jump in his game.

As Schröder makes his way to Houston, head coach Stephen Silas has already incorporated him in the rotation. Following a 135-101 loss to the Utah Jazz, Silas played Schroder for 18 minutes and was the first guard off the bench.

Christopher, on the other hand, only saw two minutes in the first half. Silas has previously preferred playing veteran players over rookies in the past and has led many to believe that Christopher's role will be reduced.

General manager Rafael Stone has rebutted to the media that the acquisition of the veteran guard will hinder the development of the guards on the team.

""We play a five out system and so you need a multiple amount of perimeter defenders on the court and multiple ball handlers, he added. "One of the things that is hard about playing four young guys or five young guys at the same time is that they don't make the same reads as veterans do." "

- Rafael Stone

Time will tell if Josh Christopher wins back his spot in the rotation and it leaves many Rockets fans uneased at the moment.