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Houston Rockets: 2015-16 Season Outlook

By Gerald Bourguet

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Houston Rockets
Jan 23, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and center Dwight Howard (12) in the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Predictions

With Howard not getting any younger and only one guaranteed year left on Lawson’s contract, the time is now for the Rockets to contend for a championship. Harden is in the prime of his career and has established himself as one of the five best players in the NBA, so there are really only three things that could potentially hold this team back: Howard’s health, Lawson’s fit and the brutal reality of trying to win the West.

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The Rockets may be a legitimate title contender, but you could say that about four other teams in the conference at this point. Winning the West will really come down to favorable matchups, home-court advantage and injury luck when all is said and done.

Harden will have another MVP-caliber season in 2015-16, but his assist numbers will dip with the addition of Lawson and it’ll cost him in the voting. Howard will stay healthy and Motiejunas will fill in admirably for Josh Smith, but with the top of the West even more brutal than it was last season, the Rockets and their cast of complementary role players will more than likely flame out in the second round.

Houston could conceivably return the Larry O’Brien trophy to Clutch City for the first time since 1995, but it’ll take an extraordinary amount of injury luck, it’ll take Howard having a resurgent year and it’ll take Lawson finding his niche on both ends of the floor. For the time being, that seems like just a bit too much to ask for.

Next: NBA: Complete Offseason Grades For All 30 Teams

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