Rockets 2022-2023 player recaps: Josh Christopher

I think we were all expecting a little more out of Josh Christopher this season. After a promising rookie season in which he averaged 7.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2 assists per game across 74 appearances (18 minutes per game), Christopher’s numbers were down pretty much across the board. This past year, he averaged just 5.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game and appeared in just 64 contests (12.3 minutes per game), which was a huge disappointment for anyone expecting Christopher to take a leap this season.

He could barely get off the bench for former coach Stephen Silas, and this was for a team that was trotting out Daishen Nix on the regular at one of the guard slots. Is that one of the numerous coaching failures for Silas? Possibly, but Christopher didn’t do much with his time on the court to force Silas’ hand. Of course, he’s not a natural point guard by any stretch, but his ability to push the pace with the ball could have made him a viable option over the inconsistent Nix had only Christopher been able to step up. But Christopher’s own inconsistency and recklessness didn’t allow that to happen.

This coming season is going to be up in the air for Christopher. The Houston Rockets hold a $2.4 million team option in 2023-2024, which leaps to a $4.3 million team option the following season. There’s no guarantee the team brings him back this coming year, and even if they do, he’s going to really have to take a leap for the team to be willing to bump his pay up even more the following year. With a new coaching regime on the way, it remains to be seen what his role, if any, will be on a revamped Rockets squad (more draft picks and free agents incoming). I think it’s worth rolling the dice on him as a backend bench piece, but don’t be totally shocked if the new coaching staff feels differently and Christopher has played his last game in a Rockets uniform.