The Houston Rockets have two point guards, Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry, looking to each be starters playing 30-35 minutes. They also have a surprising rookie addition in Ish Smith, a point guard they opted to keep for the rest of the season and one they called back up from the NBDL. Throw in the fact that Courtney Lee plays some spot minutes at the one for defensive purposes, and it looks like the Rockets just don’t have the minutes to quite satisfy everyone.
Terrence Williams has played sparingly, but has shown excellent passing ability
The Houston Rockets have two point guards, Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry, looking to each be starters playing 30-35 minutes. They also have a surprising rookie addition in Ish Smith, a point guard they opted to keep for the rest of the season and one they called back up from the NBDL. Throw in the fact that Courtney Lee plays some spot minutes at the one for defensive purposes, and it looks like the Rockets just don’t have the minutes to quite satisfy everyone.
Now you may need to toss Terrence Williams into that mix. When we asked the newest Rocket if he considers himself a two or a three, Williams took the third option — point guard.
“Because of my mindset and the way I can handle the basketball,” said Williams.
The second-year product out of Louisville doesn’t really think he qualifies at the two or the three.
“When you think of shooting guards, you think of scoring and I don’t really think of myself as a scorer. When you think of a small forward, you think of 6-8. I’m not 6-8,” added Williams. “So I would say that I’m more a point guard that can handle the ball and can pass.”
In the limited time Williams has played in Houston, I’ve come to understand better his points. He is small for a wing. His body type screams two-guard, but he doesn’t have near the range you would like to see from a prototypical shooting guard. He has been nailed to the pine, but the garbage minutes he played in the Orlando blowout (See: Terrence Williams Highlights vs. Magic) again demonstrated his passing ability. If he is a point guard, his potential goes through the roof given his size and two-way ability, but there is a lot more to being a point than just court vision and creativity (right, Rodrick Rhodes?).
If Williams grows to see significant time with the Rockets, I believe you will see him end up playing more at the two, balanced out with a point guard who can hit from distance — similar to what the Rockets did with Tracy McGrady. Right now, the pairing of Williams and Courtney Lee intrigues me.
But, as we approach the trade deadline, it’s painfully obvious that there is a glut at the guard spots. With Williams unhappy with his lack of playing time, something he has expressed clearly on Twitter, something will need to change.