Vital Rockets' bench weapon is closer to his return than you might think

As the Houston Rockets have played through half of their preseason slate, their primary goal has become clear: sort out the pecking order in their rotation in the absence of starting point guard Fred VanVleet.

Yet, through these two games, one vital piece, Jae'Sean Tate, has been absent due to an injury he is still rehabbing from, and, with the recent news that he underwent offseason ankle surgery, Rockets fans have also received a positive update.

Although Tate is still strengthening his ankle, he will likely be ready for the team's season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jae'Sean Tate returning to the rotation will be massive for the Rockets' depth

With VanVleet out, the Rockets' rotation will need to get a massive shakeup, and, although Tate cannot help fill out the backcourt for the team, he certainly will be able to take on some reliable minutes in the front court alongside Tari Eason.

While Houston acquired pieces like Clint Capela and Dorian Finney-Smith this offseason to help bolster their depth, a piece like Tate, who has been in under the Ime Udoka system for multiple seasons and can provide the team with a dependable presence when they need it, will be relied upon more than ever this season to help give the starters rest where necessary.

Reasonably, Tate should not necessarily be expected to take on a large role. Last season, through 52 games, Tate's production continued to take a major dip from where he once was earlier in his career, as he averaged 3.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 0.9 assists on a diet of just 11.3 minutes per game.

Yet, apart from the general lack of production, Tate is a relatively reliable ball-handler, posting a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and having this on their bench, even if Tate will not take on a massive facilitation role, is an absolute necessity for Houston this season. In order to have one of the deepest rotations in the league, each and every player coming off the bench needs to be able to handle themselves with high intelligence.

Therefore, while it will be a struggle for Tate to increase his share of minutes this season, his presence could be an integral piece in the viability of the team's bench unit.

With Dorian Finney-Smith set to miss the beginning of the season with a similar ankle injury, Houston must hope their depth pieces can return as soon as possible in order to ease some of the burden on their starters throughout their early-season gauntlet.