The Rockets should bench Dillon Brooks when Jabari Smith Jr. returns

The Houston Rockets are one of the deepest teams in the NBA.

That's largely a blessing. The Rockets have a variety of quality lineups at their disposal. When healthy, it makes them difficult to beat.

It also makes Ime Udoka's job difficult.

Some NBA teams have a clear starting lineup. There's no ambiguity about who should be on the floor for the opening tip. For the Rockets, it's a point of contention.

Soon, Jabari Smith Jr. will return from injury. He'll likely start with the second unit as he plays himself into game shape. When he's right, he should return to the starting lineup.

Who does he replace?

Rockets can't bench Amen Thompson

In 2024-25, Thompson is averaging 16.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in 25 games as a starter. That's across-the-board production that Smith Jr. can't replicate.

Luckily, they're perfectly compatible players. If anything, Thompson has more size and athleticism advantages at the 3 than the 4. Smith Jr.'s ability to space the floor perfectly complements Thompson's ability to get to the bucket. No issues there.

So it's simple - replace Dillon Brooks, right? Start Thompson and Smith Jr. alongside Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and Fred VanVleet.

Not so fast.

Rockets' Brooks remains a key player

Per CleaningTheGlass, all 4 of the Rockets' lineups with positive net differentials have Brooks in them.

The previously proposed lineup is -2.0 across 148 possessions. This is confusing. Thompson has a Box Plus/Minus (BPM) of 3.2. Smith Jr. is at -0.6, and Brooks is all the way down at -2.1. How is the Rockets' overall production so dependent on the least impactful player of that trio?

Perhaps it points to the limitations of BPM - or any aggregate metric. Brooks tends to guard the opposing team's best perimeter player. He is likely more useful than BPM suggests.

The Rockets should move him to the bench anyway.

Rockets should prioritize the future

There's a larger picture to consider.

Brooks is a good player. He may be in Rockets red for years to come. He's not "part of the future" in the same meaningful way that Thompson and Smith Jr. are. The Rockets can't start everybody, so they ought to start a group that could carry the team for years to come.

The Rockets' potential new starting lineup will likely improve over time. That 148 possessions is not a massive sample size, and Thompson's role - and potential impact - has expanded since most of those possessions were played.

The third potential option is to slide Brooks to the 2 and bench Green. The Rockets should explore those lineups too. If they're dominant, they could make that change. Still, for as inconsistent as Green has been, he's performed well enough in 2024-25 to keep his starting gig. He also provides some ball-handling, dribble penetration, and off-the-dribble shooting that Brooks does not.

These are difficult decisions. The Rockets are walking a fine line between competing and developing. They ought to at least see if pairing Smith Jr. and Thompson allows them to compete before sending one of their young guns to the second unit. Brooks can still impact winning with a high-minute reserve role:

That's the luxury of having depth.