Quick Look at the Houston Rocket's Second Unit
· Yahoo Sports
The Houston Rockets not only have a strong starting line-up as I mentioned in my previous article, but also have a top-tier second unit.
Backing up Fred VanVleet at the point guard position will primarily be Marcus Smart. Although Smart was just signed to the Rockets this offseason, he already has a strong rapport with head coach Ime Udoka from their time in Boston, when Boston made it to the finals and Smart won Defensive Player of the Year. Udoka clearly has high regard for Smart, as he was Udoka’s primary target from free agency.
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Smart will be a strong veteran voice that will help lead his team on and off the court. Offensively, Smart is likely to be the primary ball handler and play creator of the second unit. On the defensive end, he will be a high-IQ gritty perimereter defender.
The back-up shooting will be Reed Sheppard. Coming off of a second-year breakout during 2025-26 season, Sheppard will be the primary off ball playmaker and scoring threat. In his breakout year, Sheppard averaged 13.5 points in 26.2 minutes per game. His most impressive statistic was his highly efficient three-point shooting, as he averaged 39.4% from deep.
Sheppard will be the biggest three point threat on Houston’s deep bench. Having Smart as the primary ball handler creates the opportunity for Sheppard to make more off-the-ball plays and have less burden of organizing the entire offense. I believe he is a true candidate to be the Sixth Man of the Year.
Bogdan Bogdanović will be the backup small forward. He was brought in this summer to help increase the team’s three-point shooting. The veteran winger’s three-point threat will create space for the rest of the offense and help create wider driving lanes for Houston to take advantage of.
At the power forward position, Tari Eason brings an elite defensive presence. His combination of length and quickness will cause serious disruption to any opposing offense. He also is a high caliber relentless rebounder on both ends of the floor.
Working inside the perimeter with Eason will be Steven Adams. Before his injury last season, Adams played 32 games, helping Houston to a 21-11 record. Across the 32 games, he averaged 5.8 points and 8.6 rebounds in 22.8 minutes per game. 4.5 of the 8.6 rebounds per game were on the offensive glass, proving that he is one of the most elite offensive rebounders in the entire NBA. Adams posted historic offensive rebound rates, as he constantly flirted with a 25% offensive rebounding percentage.
Thanks to newfound depth, the Houston Rockets have one of the strongest second units in the NBA. Is it fair to expect this team to make a deep run in next year’s playoffs?