Houston Rockets: Dwight Howard Makes Omer Asik Expendable
The Houston Rockets were the winners of the 2013 NBA free agency. The Rockets were able to lure Dwight Howard away from the Lakers, a first in NBA history. No free-agent superstar has ever left the Lakers, so the Rockets should be applauded. Or Chandler Parsons should be applauded because according to him, he was the main reason Howard signed with Houston … so good for him.
What has been lost in Dwight Howard’s arrival is the fact that Houston had a pretty good young center on their team last year, Omer Asik. Asik spent his first two seasons with the Chicago Bulls as a backup to Joakim Noah. Even though he only averaged three points and four rebounds in about 13 minutes per game over his first two years, Asik showed great potential, especially on the defensive end. Last offseason, the Rockets signed Asik to a three-year, $25.1 million deal. Last season, Asik lived up to his big pay raise by averaging 10 points and nearly 12 rebounds in about 30 minutes per game. However, Howard’s arrival is going to severely limit Asik’s playing time. Asik will return to a reserve role, where he will average less than 15 minutes a night. This is likely to be unacceptable for Asik after having such a central role on the Rockets last season. This should also be unacceptable for the Rockets as Asik is set to make $5 million this year before his contract jumps to nearly $15 million for the following year. For those of you counting at home, at this rate during the 2014-15 season, Asik would be making about $1 million per every minute he plays.
The problem with Asik getting more minutes is that he and Howard are both only capable of playing on the low block on offense (well, when not in the pick-and-roll). While the tandem would be beastly on the defensive end, the offensive spacing with those two on the floor would cripple the Rockets. Neither Howard nor Asik have anything that resembles a jump shot and both need to be within five feet of the rim to score. Opposing teams would pack the lane with those two on the floor, forcing the Rockets into nothing but jumpers. Not that Harden and Parsons mind jacking up contested jumpers, however, that strategy will only get you so far.
Because of the spacing and money issues, Dwight Howard has made Omer Asik expendable. Houston should not be lacking suitors for their European big man. While still very raw offensively (and likely to always be so), Asik is a huge asset on the defensive end and a quality starting NBA big man, on a reasonable (if unusual) contract. Howard is best utilized when surrounded with shooters. Flipping Asik for a stretch 4 and other assets would appear to be both in Houston’s best interest as well as Asik’s.
Just for grins for you Rockets fans, here is a very unlikely trade scenario, one that would make the Rockets damn near unbeatable and also salvage what is stacking up to be a very depressing twilight of Dirk Nowitzki‘s career.