UA-59049186-1 NBA Team Preview: Houston Rockets - Good if it Goes

NBA Team Preview: Houston Rockets

Offseason

Draft Picks:  37. Chinanu Onuaku

Key Acquisitions: PF. Ryan Anderson, SG. Eric Gordon

Key Loses: C. Dwight Howard, PF. Terrence Jones

Player Profiles

PG. Patrick Beverley: 6’1, 185

  • 3 and D PG who is only a PG in name not game.
  • Offensive game is more like a wing than a PG. Plays a ton without the ball and isn’t much of an offensive player outside of his 3 point shooting.
  • Excellent on the ball defender but his overall defensive reputation is a little over blown.

SG. James Harden: 6’5, 220

  • Elite offensive player who puts constant pressure on opposing defenses and lives at the FT line.
  • Ball dominant all-around scorer that can do it in transition, in isolation, in the PnR, or off-ball and he can score from all areas of the floor. He’s also a good playmaker capable of taking advantage of all the attention he draws to set up teammates.
  • Embarrassment of a defender given all his natural ability and tools. If he actually tried he’s capable of being a good defensive player but he just goes out and flagrantly gives no effort a lot of the time.

SF. Trevor Ariza: 6’8, 215

  • Long 3 and D wing.
  • Best asset on offense is his 3 point shooting but he’s also capable of putting the ball on the floor and making some things happen as a catch and score guy.
  • Veteran defensive player that isn’t what he used to be but still effective. Plays smart and does a good job contesting shots.

PF. Ryan Anderson: 6’10, 240

  • Big-time shooting big man that’s much more than a stretch 4.
  • He can really shoot but his offenisve skill set is big time. He can put the ball on the floor, shoot on the move flying around off-ball screens as if he’s a SG and he makes fade away jumpers.
  • Horrible defensive player that doesn’t move well laterally or offer much rim protection and he can’t defend his guy 1 on 1.

C. Clint Capela: 6’10, 240

  • Long, athletic big man that is a beast on the boards.
  • Runs the floor hard and is a major threat to finish around the rim as a dive man and lob threat.
  • Has the potential to be a defensive superstar. Blocks shots and is highly active moving around.

Bench

SG. Eric Gordon: 6’4, 215

  • Highly-effective offensive player who is highly injury prone.
  • Scoring 2 guard that loves to shoot 3s and score off the ball.
  • Hasn’t been a reliable defender his entire career and I don’t see that changing.

C. Maybyner Nene: 6’11, 250

  • Declining center who just hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
  • Elite finisher around the basket and best suited to contribute playing in the PnR game.
  • Good defensive center who rotates well and can get charges.

SF. Corey Brewer: 6’9, 186

  • Very long wing that struggles to shoot offensively from all over the field.
  • The guy simply isn’t a reliable shooter from anywhere on the court and can be a huge liability on that end when he isn’t in transition.
  • Defensively due to his tools he’s highly disappointing to watch on d. He can defend guys on the ball 1 on 1 but his defense off the ball and in PnR situations isn’t up to par.

PG. Tyler Ennis: 6’3, 175

  • 3rd year PG with a lot of length but average athleticism.
  • Overall average offensive player. Shoots the mid-range shot well and is ok from 3. Decent passer and can use his size to see the floor. Not overly explosive and not a guy that can create a lot of offense for himself.
  • Has the long arms but he’s really thin and that can hurt him at times on defense. Could develop into a quality defender 1 day but not there yet.

PF. Montrezl Harrell: 6’8, 240

  • Hard working physical PF that makes up for his lack of height with his activity level.
  • Very good finisher around the basket given his height. Utilizes his big body to bang and put himself in good positions to make shots inside.
  • Just not build to be effective on defense. He’s too short and not quick enough to make up for it.

SF. Sam Dekker: 6’9, 230

  • Long rangy combo forward that has a versatile offensive skill set. Looking to bounce back after a lost rookie year due to injury.
  • Really good ball handler for a near 6’10 guy and has the skills to play offensively at either forward spot. Was a good shooter in college with range out to the 3 point line.
  • Hard to say what he can be defensively. He has the length and he can move a little so it’s possible if he can learn NBA defense he can at least be a neutral defender but my guess is like most players he’ll be on the negative side to start his career.

SG. PJ Hairston: 6’6, 230

  • Low level back up wing that has some size but is very ineffective on offense.
  • Struggles to shoot from the field from all over the court. He doesn’t handle it well nor does he have the athleticism to really over come his shooting deficiencies.
  • Lack of lateral quickness is his biggest hindrance as a wing defender.

Breakdown

The Rockets could actually be a better team next year. I’ve got my questions about whether or not they can play defense, but they should be a lot better offensively. The starting line up is built to play around James Harden. On the perimeter Patrick Beverly and Trevor Ariza are 3 and D options who can play off the ball and space the floor for Harden. The big Rockets should be very excited about their two bigs this year. No more Dwight Howard mucking up the offense now they have Ryan Anderson who will be this team’s 2nd leading scorer at PF who can play pick n pop with Harden and make things really hard for defenses. He also can take the ball himself and get buckets. Capela will move from the bench to the starting lineup and I expect big things from him especially on defense as he should be an upgrade from the declining Howard.

The Rockets bench isn’t very good and that is what worries me most about this team. Eric Gordon as the 6th man off the bench is going to be fantastic for the Rockets and my guess is we may see him and Harden in the backcourt together at times. But after Gordon it looks rough for the Rockets. Corey Brewer isn’t a good basketball player, Nene is on the decline and though he can do some things effective he’s only good for 40-50 games. Harrell can’t play any defense and is undersized and Ennis is completely unproven.

Expectations

It’s going to be tough for the Rockets to make the playoffs this year. I’m not sold on their ability to play defense as a team but the addition of new head coach Mike D’Antoni should help the Rockets offense go to the next level. The Rockets are going to take and make a ton of 3s. Most likely they’re going to play 1 in and 4 out around Capella playing primarily as a the lead ball screener. I think we’re going to see Harden get more assist than he ever has. The pace that the Rockets play at might actually help them on defense because it’s going to speed a lot of their opponents up and take them out of their game. I think they’re going to be so good offensively and Harden is going to be so great in this system that the Rockets can sneak in as a 7 or 8 seed.

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