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Houston Rockets: 2016 Offseason Grades

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 25, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after scoring against New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 112-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after scoring against New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 112-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Houston Rockets are going all in on offense with Dwight Howard gone, but was it a successful summer? Here are their complete 2016 offseason grades.

Houston Rockets
Jan 25, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts after scoring against New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the fourth quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 112-111. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /

Perhaps more than any other Western Conference team (well, except the Oklahoma City Thunder), the Houston Rockets needed to have a successful offseason.

Coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2015, the Rockets were once again knocked out in a gentleman’s sweep against the Golden State Warriors in 2016…only this time it happened in the first round of the playoffs.

With Dwight Howard opting out of the final year of his contract and Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas hitting restricted free agency, the Rockets had decisions to make about how they wanted to build another contender around James Harden.

Now that free agency is winding down, it’s pretty clear that general manager Daryl Morey opted to assemble an offensive juggernaut around the Beard and new head coach Mike D’Antoni, rather than haphazardly pursue a more balanced roster.

The question is, how did he do? And how good will this team be in 2016-17 with so much offensive firepower and so many defensive liabilities? Here’s a look at the Houston Rockets’ complete 2016 offseason grades.

Next: The Draft

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