Rockets veteran could soon be left in the dust with Tari Eason's return

The Houston Rockets have been in need of additional guard play since Fred VanVleet went down late in the offseason with an ACL injury. Over the past month, Aaron Holiday's resurgence as a perimeter shooter has provided some answer for this.

However, now that dynamic young forward Tari Eason has returned from the oblique strain that sidelined him for over a month, Holiday's role in the rotation could be in jeopardy.

Over his last three games, Holiday has totaled just over 20 minutes on the court. While he is still a viable player in a pinch, his clutch performances evidently have bought him no sustained run as the Rockets' rotation continues to be shaped.

Aaron Holiday is a valuable player to have- but not one that Ime Udoka wants to use extensively

From the outset of the season, it appeared as though Udoka was willing to stick with a combination of Amen Thompson and Reed Sheppard as his solution at point guard. To an extent, both players have proved him right.

Thompson has averaged 17.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while providing elite help defense. Sheppard, meanwhile, has taken immense strides this season in his enhanced role, averaging 13.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.2% from 3-point range.

Josh Okogie has also stepped up to provide Houston with viable shooting guard play.

Despite all of those facts, the Rockets' backcourt rotation is slim. In Eason's absence, Holiday got the chance to prove that he belongs in the mix on a consistent basis.

In the 15 games he played in that span (excluding a DNP against the Sacramento Kings), he averaged 9.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, and one assist while knocking down 45.2% of his attempts from beyond the arc. He earned a rather steady diet of 19.4 minutes per game and even got opportunities to close on a consistent basis.

Yet Eason provides a defensive and downhill skill-set that Holiday simply does not possess.

With Eason in the rotation at the start of the season, Holiday received five DNPs in the team's first nine games. While it is unlikely that he will be cut out of the rotation entirely, he will almost certainly see his role be minimized as the season drags on.

Another factor at play is that Dorian Finney-Smith has also returned. As a viable perimeter shooter and a capable defender, he will command significant minutes in the rotation once he finds his footing.

As a result, Holiday could soon find himself back where he began at the start of the season.