With the Houston Rockets’ season underway today, many were wondering if Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams would be sitting out one or both of back-to-back games, and if so, who would start in their place. Well, earlier this week @WillGuillory on Twitter reported that “Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams will sit out back-to-backs to start the season, per Ime Udoka, Marcus Smart, not Reed Sheppard, will start at point guard when VanVleet is out.”
The announcement was not unexpected. Adams, 33, missed the final 42 games of the regular season and the whole postseason following left ankle surgery in January, while VanVleet, 32, missed the entire previous season due to a left leg ailment. In three of the previous four seasons, Adams has either missed a lot of time or had his season cut short. This season, the Rockets will play 13 back-to-back games, the first of which will take place on Friday and Saturday of opening week. When VanVleet is not available, naming Smart the starter instead of Reed Sheppard can come as a small surprise. Smart is starting his 13th NBA season after agreeing to a two-year, $12.4 million deal over the summer. He started for Udoka’s Celtics, who advanced to the 2022 NBA Finals.
Sheppard played in six postseason games and all 82 regular-season games for the Rockets the previous season, and Udoka reaffirmed that the third-year guard will play a big part in his third NBA season. Does the decision to rest Fred and Steven on one half of back-to-backs surprise you? Do you agree with Smart starting over Reed when Fred is out? Who do you think will start when Adams doesn’t play? Let us know in the comments, and as always, check back at The Dream Shake for all things Houston Rockets news, analysis, and more.
