NBA Analysis: Will AJ Griffin Be the Next Rockets Reserve to Step Up?

NBA teams have 15 roster spots, and for good reason. The truth is that every single member of the team will likely have their number at some point. It could be due to injury, load management, time on the dumps, or even experimenting with new lineups, but the fact is that every guy has a role.

Last season, the Houston Rockets had to look down the line as they needed someone to fill the backup point guard role in place of Fred VanVleet. Kevin Porter Jr., a likely backup option, was traded before the season because the team wanted to cut ties with him due to his legal issues. Amen Thompson, the point guard of the future, was injured in just his fourth career game, prompting Ime Udoka to call up the rarely used Aaron Holiday.

Holiday was a modest acquisition that was supposed to add depth and fill out the lineup when needed, but it’s hard to imagine he was expected to become a permanent fixture in the Rockets’ lineup. However, Holiday’s play in Thompson’s absence made him difficult to remove from the rotation, so he provided solid play for Houston in 78 games last year. Holiday wasn’t a Sixth Man of the Year candidate, but he was a pleasant surprise and someone who could be counted on to bolster Udoka’s second unit.

The question now is: who could be the pleasant surprise in the 2024-2025 season?

My nomination for this year’s surprise is AJ Griffin. When the Rockets acquired Griffin this summer, it was a move that wasn’t publicized. There wasn’t a lot of fanfare or buzz around the move, but Rafael Stone did a good job in my opinion.

Griffin is the son of former player and coach Adrian Griffin, and AJ himself is a former five-star recruit coming out of Duke. At least he has NBA pedigree. It’s worth a shot, considering he’s only 21.

Whatever the reason, Griffin’s promising start to his career fell apart when Quin Snyder took over with the Atlanta Hawks. His minutes immediately dropped, and it became even more obvious that his time in Atlanta was coming to an end when he began receiving DNPs and was sent to the G-League for the 2023-24 season.

Griffin was supposed to start fresh, and in Houston it would be nice to see him get that fair chance. While the more experienced winger on the Rockets may get priority over Griffin, it’s foolish to think that some combination of injury, rest, or roster tinkering will keep him on the bench like he did in Atlanta.

With an impressive skill set that includes off-the-ball shooting and a long frame, Griffin is someone who fits right into Udoka’s wheelhouse. Recall that Udoka didn’t mind calling on the older Reggie Bullock last season. You’d think the younger version of that might have more to offer this time around.

While Griffin’s shooting numbers dropped off significantly last year, that’s hardly the norm considering he’s always been a solid shooter outside of this year. It’s hard to blame the kid when it seems like the coaching staff has been ruling him out from the get-go. If Griffin can use his body and provide solid defense, Udoka may have to start saving him minutes like he did for Holiday.

Getting Griffin is the kind of move I’d like to see. If it lands, Stone is brilliant. If it doesn’t, it was just a 40-point pick. No harm done, no foul.