Houston Rockets Ready for Another Title?

Kevin Tan Sep 23, 2013 · 3 min read

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Dwight Howard. Check

James Harden. Check

Young core with outside shooting threats. Check

Smart point guard. Check

Granted these aren’t the only things needed for an NBA title, they are a great starting point. There are still plenty of unanswered question about this team in 2013.

The outside shooters recently hired on haven’t proven themselves within the system just yet.
How will Asik respond to being moved to backup C?
Will Lin’s outside shooting prove to be a threat?
Are Dwight’s post moves improving after training with the Dream and Mchale?

Those are just a few questions that are jumping around on our minds. As a true fan who started watching and tracking the Rockets almost religiously since 2003, I’ve seen the growth in management, player development and analytic data start showing results.

Who would have thought Carl Landry would turn out to be a decent PF? Who thought Scola would be one of our most efficient scorers and was a steal? Who thought a back up PG in Kyle Lowry would help change the attitude of the team and eventually form into a Harden trade?

The Houston Rockets have lofty expectations but if we have been able to hold onto .500 all these years without superstar players, I can’t imagine why we wouldn’t be able to jump into title contention.

In my opinion it should be a fairly easy transition for Dwight. He was the guy in Orlando scoring monster stats. Harden is a fearless player who can drive effortlessly to the basket and pass just as efficiently. This Rockets team is extremely unselfish and that’s what I love about them. They’re young, they’re fun to watch and they’ve got a great staff.

Right now I’m pissed at the Texans because of their fluctuating gameplay thus far. I’m hoping the Rockets will be a little less lethal to my blood pressure though I do expect a rough beginning as we adjust and build chemistry.

Here’s what I’d like to see:

The PnR is a no brainer. Dwight is the best PnR C in the league. It’s quite dangerous considering how good Harden and Dwight are at finishing at the rim. Assuming the outside shooters pan out, I’m not sure how defenses will adjust fully.
Asik to improve his hands. He’s a great defender…and elite one in my opinion but I’m hoping he’s doing drills where he is more adept to catching rolling passes.
Brewer continues to be a solid wing defender. I’ve always been a fan of Brewer even though he was on a team not worth saying. His effort on the defensive end is something this team really needed. If he can hit the occasional open shot that’d be icing on the cake.
Beverley will continue to hound point guards. He’s a pesky little guy and is relentless at getting under people’s skin and I love it.

Essentially all I’m saying is that I think the chemistry on this team will happen sooner than later. Morey is great at picking people who are not only efficient but team players with great attitude (exception: Royce White). I’m extremely excited for this team and can’t wait for the season to start.