2021-22 Rockets roster review, offseason outlook: Josh Christopher
(Editor’s note: We are reviewing all players from the Houston Rockets who finished the 2021-22 season with the team. To access other reviews in this ongoing series, click here.)
Rockets Player: Josh Christopher, 6-foot-5 guard, 20 years old
2021-22 statistics in Houston: 7.9 points (44.8% FG, 29.6% on 3-pointers), 2.5 assists, 2.0 assists, 0.9 steals in 18.0 minutes
Professional Experience: 1 NBA season
Contract Status: Signed for $2.4 million in 2022-23; team options for 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons
Rookie guard Josh Christopher who was selected out of Arizona State in the first round of the 2021 NBA draft, did not come in with the hype and fanfare of his fellow rookie teammates in Houston.
Jalen Green was the second overall pick; Alperen Sengun, the 2020-21 Turkish League MVP, went at No. 16 overall; and Spanish international Usman Garuba was selected at No. 23, one spot before Christopher. So, it isn’t surprising that most draft experts didn’t envision Christopher as a significant contributor to the Rockets entering the 2021-22 season.
All he did was prove that Rockets general manager Rafael Stone has an eye for talent, and adding a talent like Christopher to the mix is part of a bigger plan the team has in the future. That became evident when Christopher’s NBA minutes increased late in the season due to injuries suffered by veterans Christian Wood, Eric Gordon, and Dennis Schröder.
Christopher scored a career-high 30 points versus Minnesota on April 3, 2022, becoming Houston’s first reserve to break 30 since former player Austin Rivers had 41 points against Sacramento on Aug. 9, 2020.
Highlights
Analysis
Although Christopher ended the 2021-22 season on a very high note, things were very rough for the California native and former five-star high school recruit at the start of his rookie season. After seeing one of his best friends, Jalen Green, get a significant amount of early playing time as a starter for Houston. Christopher barely touched the court in October and November, averaging 6.9 minutes per game in the 11 games he appeared in before being sent to G League affiliate Rio Grande Valley.
During his brief time in the G League, Christopher learned how to become a better ball-handler and facilitator, which are areas head coach Stephen Silas wanted him to improve at in order to lead the second unit. Once he returned to the team, Christopher had a new sense of direction and was able to gain more experience due to injuries sustained by Green and Kevin Porter Jr., who started at point guard for most of the season.
All his hard work and dedication quickly paid off, as Christopher scored his then career-high 18 points and made all seven of his shots in a home game versus Brooklyn on Dec. 8, 2021. That was his fifth game back from the G League, and it happened to be his 20th birthday, too. Christopher built on that showing and finished the season as a regular rotation player for Silas, who loved his ability as a slasher. For the season, Christopher shot 64.7% at the rim and 53.3% on shots inside the paint.
Outlook
One area of improvement this offseason for the 6-5, 215 combo guard is 3-point shooting. Going forward, the Rockets will need Christopher to become more efficient as a long-range shooter, since defenders will increasingly pack the paint to reduce his ability to attack the rim. Should it continue, Christopher’s 29.6% showing from 3-point range (in 2021-22) won’t cause many defenders to come out to the perimeter.
In his April 11 exit interview, Christopher said he plans to play in the Las Vegas Summer League in July to further work on his game.
The Rockets already admire his ability to beat defenders off the dribble, and his solid on-ball defensive presence will keep him on the rotation, regardless. If Christopher can improve his jump shot and continue to display the work ethic he showed during his rookie season, he will be well on his way to reaching a goal he set for himself at the beginning of the season: becoming a true two-way difference-maker in the NBA.
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