The Houston Rockets were already thin at guard rotation even before Fred VanVleet went down with a torn ACL. But as we often say, when one door closes, another one opens. With the Rockets positioned as one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, point guard play will be extremely important. However, it appears that during training camp, the Rockets have discovered a gem and a new favorite to earn minutes at both guard positions.
A Young Guard Is Earning Notice Inside Rockets Training Camp
Before training camp, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka made it clear the team will put the ball in Amen Thompson’s hands and let the third-year guard lead the way. Having a young guard running the offense can be a risky move, but the Rockets do not have many options.
Yes, they do have a deep rotation and quality players, but their guard rotation is rather thin. But as they started their training camp, the Rockets found someone who is ready to deliver quality minutes at either guard spot. Udoka praised JD Davison and his commitment and effort, saying:
“He’s been great. Very aggressive, handles well, makes good decisions out of the pick and roll. He’s a big body who can pick up full court, so he brings aggression on both sides of the ball. He makes the right decisions, whether it’s to score or make the right read. Like I said, he’s a big body who can get downhill. Very athletic. Slashes well off the ball.”
Udoka and Davison share history from their time on the Boston Celtics. The young guard was on a two-way contract in Boston as well and spent most of his time in the G-League. However, that experience has helped him. Last season, he won the G-League MVP, averaging 25.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He scored 30 or more points in 15 games and recorded two triple-doubles.
Can Davison Actually Make the Roster?
Teams are allowed to have three two-way players on their roster and shuffle them between the G-League and the NBA. Through his three years in the league, Davison has appeared in 36 games. He has averaged 1.9 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. The good news is that the Rockets do not have many bodies for their guard rotation. VanVleet will miss the entire season, and if any one of their guards misses time, Davison might get called upon. Their coach definitely loves players who compete and try to defend. Standing at 6-foot-1, he has enough size and strength to play strong defense, something that is the foundation for all of Udoka’s teams.
JD Davison – The Next Scottie Pippen Jr?
We’ve seen this before: a young guard taking advantage of injuries to his team. Last year, the Memphis Grizzlies signed Scottie Pippen Jr. to a two-way contract in January. But after a solid finish to the 2023-24 season, and a summer when he showed potential, they converted his deal to a standard contract in October.
As the season continued, Pippen had highs and lows. There were days he would play 30 minutes, and days he would play 10 to 15 minutes. In the last few months of the season, he took advantage of the injury to Ja Morant and showed the Grizzlies he can be a quality rotation player. Memphis was so impressed by his skills that they traded Desmond Bane in the offseason to make room for Pippen to earn more minutes.
Can Davison follow the same path? He certainly has the potential. Right now, the Rockets have Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Aaron Holiday, and Josh Okogie at guard on standard contracts. Kevon Harris is another guard on a two-way contract. But we have to remember, Davison was the G-League MVP last season. If the possibility opens for him to earn minutes, Davison can certainly ball.
© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The post A Young Guard Is Earning Notice Inside Rockets Training Camp appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.