Rockets are on the verge of a training camp crisis nobody saw coming

The news that Fred VanVleet had torn his ACL did not find any fan of the Houston Rockets well. This team's depth at guard was already thin, and now comes the million dollar question: who is going to be the starting point guard now?

VanVleet had been such a steadying presence for this group that it's a bit hard to imagine what life will be like without him perhaps for the entire season. His absence is going to leave a void in the departments of playmaking, shot creation and just overall stability.

As for Houston's alternative options for a starting point guard, Ime Udoka is likely going to be choosing between Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard. Perhaps he'll consider hybrid solutions involving guys like Aaron Holiday as well, but I'd think these two will be the main considerations.

Honestly, it probably makes the most sense to start Thompson from a pure talent standpoint. But there's reasons for skepticism even with him. Is Amen ready to handle full-time point guard duties? Orchestrating an offense, managing the team's tempo and handling pressure when the game is on the line?

There's not a perfect fit for the Rockets' new starting point guard

I'm not going to say he can't do it, because Thompson is a special player. But he's certainly known more for his defense, athleticism, and versatility than anything else. His consistency on the offensive end may not be quite refined enough yet to take on this kind of big responsibility.

Then that leads us to Reed Sheppard. This is a guy who unquestionably has shot-making instincts, but his defense and overall ball-handling in high-pressure situations at the NBA level are still a bit uncertain. Udoka was definitely somewhat hesitant to play Sheppard real minutes in his rookie year.

If Amen ultimately gets the job, you may end up having to shift things around and stagger the lineups so that the offense doesn't take a hit. Aaron Holiday will likely get on the floor some as well, but the roster might end up lacking a reliable plug-and-play backup guard who can stabilize the second unit.

This is just an overall difficult situation for the Rockets to find themselves in, especially after the move for Kevin Durant led many to view them as a top championship contender in the West. Obviously, heading into training camp you'd ideally be looking to find cohesion as a unit, not trying to patch some massive roster hole.

The Western Conference is a gauntlet, and any weakness in guard play is going to become a liability fast. It may just be sink or swim for Amen Thompson if he's asked to take up starting point guard duties. Whatever direction Houston chooses to go, they're going to be under a huge microscope.