Start, bench, cut: Who gets squeezed in the Rockets backcourt?

Bench: Aaron Holiday and Amen Thompson

The Rockets have a lot of options for their backup backcourt where one is extremely obvious and the other is up for grabs. Amen Thompson being the fourth overall pick, he has to have playing time. Aaron Holiday is the only other guard on the team that has real playing experience.

The Rockets finished with a 22-60 record last season which resulted in them getting the fourth overall pick in the draft. They used that to select Amen Thompson who had a stellar season in the Overtime Elite league. 

When a team drafts someone that high in the draft you have to play them. There are expectations around players drafted in the top five to become stars in the league. With that pressure on the Rockets, Thompson is going to play.

Thompson is 6-foot-7 and versatile. He can play as a point guard, shooting guard, or small forward but with players being drafted and signed, he is going to be played as a two guard. He can slash, defend, and pass at a high level. 

Then the Rockets signed Aaron Holiday to a one year deal this past offseason. He is the other backup guard because the Rockets don't have much of a choice because he has by far the most playing experience out of the backup guards. 

Holiday has been a primary backup point guard since he entered the league. He has been a good playmaker, solid defender, and good shooter in his backup role. Since Fred VanVleet has played around 37 minutes per game the last few seasons, Holiday will get around 10 minutes of playing time.