Houston Rockets: 5 takeaways from the 2018 NBA Summer League
1. The future is bright
In spite of winning a franchise-record 65 games last season, the Houston Rockets featured one of the oldest rosters in the NBA, as the team that finished the year with the best record in basketball was the fourth-oldest squad in the league.
Houston’s core of Chris Paul (32), James Harden (28) and Clint Capela (24), was surrounded primarily by older pieces — Nene (35), P.J. Tucker (32), Trevor Ariza (32), Gerald Green (32), Luc Mbah a Moute (31), Ryan Anderson (29) and Eric Gordon (29). Only two players on their postseason roster were younger than the age of 26 — Zhou Qi (21) and Chinanu Onuaku (21).
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The team that finished the season just one win away from reaching the NBA Finals didn’t appear to have very much young talent on its roster. Now, a slight change appears to be on the horizon, as the Rockets could seek to open up four roster spots to Summer League players should they decide to part ways with Onuaku.
While having a slew of veterans is not a bad thing, several of Houston’s young pieces could prove to be vital in helping them achieve success in the games that count. The Rockets, who have not owned a first round pick since the selection of Sam Dekker, feature a crop of young players who have shown they can contribute when called upon.
Players such as Zhou Qi and Isaiah Hartenstein put together impressive showings at both ends of the floor throughout their time at Summer League, while rookies such as Vincent Edwards and De’Anthony Melton exhibited that they can indeed thrive and excel on both ends of the floor. The Rockets’ play in Las Vegas should give upper management a series of options to consider.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
This is the ultimate victory within itself, as the future appears to be just as bright as the present in H-Town.