Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from loss vs. Thunder

1. Backcourt depth is still an issue

Despite featuring two of the game’s finest playmakers alongside one of the league’s top scorers off the bench, the Rockets still lack major depth at the guard positions — particularly without Chris Paul in the fold.

As a result, this has led to both Gordon and Harden playing a heavy bulk of minutes early in the season.

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Against the Thunder, the two played a combined 76 minutes on the floor, and each took turns running the offense at the point guard spot while the other sat in mini-stretches.

While Gordon has managed to perform well as a member of the starting lineup, acquiring another point guard might be what the Rockets need to take the burden off of their sixth man.

Paul’s latest setback has forced D’Antoni to play Harden for nearly the entire duration of games, and although he would like to play him anywhere between 34-36 minutes, relying strictly upon his top two guards could come back to hurt Houston down the stretch.

The Rockets play a total of 8-9 guys on a nightly basis, and while they possess a ton of depth in the frontcourt, a move to acquire instant help in the backcourt could help keep their stars fresh for the road that lies ahead.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition

Houston will now seek to rest up and recover over the next couple of days, prior to facing off against Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics on Thursday night.