Houston Rockets: NBA Title Is Only Successful Outcome
Start a checklist for what an NBA Championship team needs to have and then take a look at the Houston Rockets‘ roster. What you’ll find is that regardless of your list, the Rockets will certainly fit the bill.
Elite scorer who can carry his team offensively? Check. Elite defensive center who can single-handedly control the glass and make defenders around him better? Check. Veteran depth? Check. Athleticism on the wings? Check.
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After last season’s envigorating Western Conference Semifinals win over the Los Angeles Clippers (followed by a demoralizing defeat at the hands of the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals), the Rockets have reached the point where the only acceptable outcome is to win the NBA Championship.
GOOD IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The Rockets have been “good” for almost a decade — they’ve posted nine winning seasons in a row — but the consistent failures in the playoffs have tarnished any longevity accolades that come with being simply “good.”
This isn’t a franchise like the Minnesota Timberwolves, who would welcome another streak of playoff appearances. The two-time NBA Champions haven’t been to the NBA Finals since 1994-95, and this season represents the best chance they’ll have.
Houston is blessed with perhaps the best offensive player in the league in James Harden, who is smack-dab in the middle of his prime at just 26 years old. In 2014-15, he set per-game career highs in points (27.4), rebounds (5.7), assists (7.0), steals (1.9), blocks (0.7), PER (26.7) and made free-throws (8.8).
Those weren’t just regular season trends, either. Harden held up his end of the bargain in the playoffs, where he scored 27.2 points per game with 5.7 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 1.6 steals and a shooting line of .439/.383/.916.
WHY THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT
The drubbing at the hands of the Warriors last season stands out for a few reasons. First, the Rockets had to shorten their rotation to seven players, including Josh Smith (no explanation needed) and Terrence Jones (still trying to get healthy) in the frontcourt.
The backcourt had issues of their own, with defensive stalwart Patrick Beverley missing the entire playoffs. Losing him meant 37-year-old Jason Terry was thrust into the spotlight and I don’t need to elaborate on how that matchup went against Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson.
Getting a healthy Jones and Beverley back will be a major boon to a defense that was surprisingly good overall in 2014-15 (8th in defensive rating).
Bringing in Ty Lawson will help to address backcourt depth and ideally will give Harden more of an opportunity to pace himself throughout the regular season. K.J. McDaniels is an athletic wing that showed promise in Philadelphia but didn’t get much of an opportunity once he reached Houston.
THEN THERE’S DWIGHT
Dwight Howard had his eight-year run of All-Star appearances snapped in 2014-15 and suffered through an injury-riddled regular season, but he quietly put together a very solid postseason.
He wasn’t much of an offensive option (averaged seven less shots per game vs. a year previous), but he still managed 16.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. He dominated the glass (led league in defensive and total rebound percentage) and set a career-best with 30.2 percent of his field goal attempts being dunks.
Perhaps more telling was the effect Dwight’s presence had on the team when he left the court — he was a net plus-9.4 per 100 possessions.
Howard is about to hit 30 years old but if he’s able to continue altering shots and if he can dominate the defensive glass, he’ll allow his teammates to get out and run, which they love (2nd in pace in 2014-15).
CHAMPIONSHIP OR BUST
Time isn’t on the Rockets side. The relative stability that they’ve enjoyed over the past few seasons could change quickly after the 2015-16 season. Howard has a player option, Lawson and Brewer’s contracts aren’t guaranteed and Jones and Donatas Motiejunas are both restricted free agents.
Their competition is brutal, as well. They share a division with four teams that could make the playoffs, the premiere free agent in basketball just showed up in San Antonio and perhaps the best player two-way player in the NBA resides in New Orleans. We should probably mention other teams in the conference — the Clippers, Warriors, Thunder — all of which will prove to be tough outs come April.
The other elephant in the room is Harden and his durability. He’s been great over the last three seasons but his minutes played (8,743 regular season, 1,142 playoffs) put him on a pace that gives cause for concern.
The Rockets can catch the Warriors on a letdown, the Spurs may take a year to learn how to integrate LaMarcus Aldridge and the Oklahoma City Thunder have their own worries. If there’s a time to win a title, it’s right now.
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