The NBA offseason, a difficult/trying time for some, a joyful/hopeful time for others. Either your team gave you the boot or that max-contract you so much coveted, the offseason is, above all, a time for redemption.
Although some offseasons may be boring and/or non-compelling (see: Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves), most of them are thrilling and compelling carrying with them a promise of spicing up the franchise’s future.
i.e.
The offseason is over and we’re a mere 24 days before the regular season gets here, media days are over and training camps, as of Sept. 30, are officially under way. Once the regular season gets going each team gets a clean slate and a chance, as slim as it might be, at the title.
At least that’s what the Houston Rockets are banking on.
Pelican Debrief
The Rockets come into the 2014-15 season with a closing window at the hopeful NBA title run which they embarked a year ago once Dwight Howard dumped the Los Angeles Lakers and fell into their lap. With Howard joining James Harden, Jeremy Lin, and now-Maverick Chandler Parsons, the Rockets amassed what seemed to be a good enough title-worthy catalogue of players.
Unfortunately, the Rockets lacked some much needed adversity (i.e. Miami Heat‘s 2011 Finals loss to the Dallas Mavericks) that would’ve exposed their flaws giving them a chance to patch things up and come out stronger than ever.
After a rather successful 54-win 2013-14 regular season and an eventual first-round outing by a hungrier Portland Trail Blazers team, now they have. Of course, even after going through said adversity, a time of change, a time for patching up the flaws and picking up the pieces left by the Trail Blazers’ pounding is in order.
Change, growth, learning often result from adversity.
First order of business, improve Harden’s defense.
James Harden: "I have to be better. I have to be great on both ends." Said improving his defense is about better "focus."
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) September 29, 2014
James Harden’s non-existent defensive effort results in some kind of radioactive/contagious virus spreading through the team, especially, Rockets’ franchise strength position, the bigs. It took a season alongside James Harden for Dwight Howard to post what would become the third worst defensive rating of his career, 101 dating back to his second year in the league and his second worst Defensive Win Shares at 4.1 dating back to his rookie season in the NBA.
More from Houston Rockets
- 5 NBA players everyone should be keeping a close eye on in 2023-24
- 5 NBA teams on the rise that will surprise everyone in 2023-24
- The latest intel has Houston ready to overpay for two free agency targets
- NBA Rumors: Houston has a polarizing backup plan if they don’t land Harden
- NBA Rumors: Houston could make a win-now trade for a star this summer
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/3/2014.
Of course, Harden’s defense is not the only reason Dwight’s regression. As a 6’10” rather explosive power forward/center, Howard has gone through some trying times himself being sidelined with both, back and shoulder, injuries throughout his career. Nevertheless, Howard and Harden were hardly the only Rockets who struggled on defense, as a matter of fact, Howard, with the third worst defensive rating of his ten season NBA career, led the Rockets by the previous stat and, Harden, a defensive liability to say the least, was ninth.
With the start of the regular season upon us, the Rockets should (and probably will) commit themselves into tapping their offensive schemes every once in a while. Their lacking defense overshadowed their second-in-the-NBA offense (per points per game, 107.7), turning it useless against the Trail Blazers in the first-round and, arguably, against the rest of the Western Conference.
"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. – Albert Einstein."
For the Rockets, a collective defensive effort is in order.