Recapping the 2014-2015 Season
Despite having found success last season, Houston experienced its share of injuries to key players. Dwight Howard, 29, only played 41 games and averaged 15.8 points, 10.5 boards, and 1.3 blocks (career-low) per game. Although he did play a big part in Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers, his season averages did drop slightly compared to his past seasons. Patrick Beverley, 27, would be forced to miss the playoffs, which would lead to the 16-year veteran Jason Terry seeing significant minutes. With the injury to point guard Beverley, much of the team’s playmaking would be facilitated by the MVP runner up James Harden. Donatas Motiejūnas, 25, would also be out of action and be forced to miss the last 11 games of the regular season, as well as the entire postseason.
For Harden and Trevor Ariza, they both had healthy seasons as they played more than 80 regular season games. Ariza held averages of 13.8 points to along with 1.9 steals per games. Harden put up incredible numbers, averaging 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. His consistency on a nightly basis was a huge part why the Rockets were able to snap their first-round exit streak and almost come out on top of the Western Conference
Additions and Subtractions
-July 3rd, Patrick Beverley and Corey Brewer re-sign to new deals.
-July 16th, Josh Smith signs with the Los Angeles Clippers
-July 20th, the Rockets acquired point guard Ty Lawson from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Kostas Papanikolaou (waived) Pablo Prigioni (waived and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers) Nick Johnson, and Joey Dorsey (waived and signed with European team Galatasaray Liv Hospital).
-On August 24th, Houston re-signed their veteran Jason Terry to a one year deal.
Expectations
Houston has had back-to-back 50-plus win seasons, and the trade for Lawson could increase their chances of keeping that streak alive. Adding the 5’11" veteran point guard will help the team’s ball movement increase. Last season with Denver, Lawson averaged 9.6 assists per game as he was one of the league leaders in dishing. His numbers could drop down slightly with Harden having the ball most of the time. However, with his talented passing skills, he can still be valuable. It’s not yet set in stone who will be the starting point guard for Houston, but Beverley also makes a strong case for the role. With his ability to provide some lockdown defense in a conference where there are the likes of Tony Parker, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, etc., it's important to have a presence in the perimeter on a nightly basis.
In an interview with CBS Sports, Houston head coach Kevin McHale said, “They’ll determine that. We’ll find out. We’ll put them out there. We’ll decide who will get the lion's share of minutes. One will and one will be a backup”. It’s also yet to be determined whether Lawson will serve any game suspension due to his DUI arrests.
If Howard can remain healthy throughout the season, he should serve as the rim protector. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year said, “I’m excited to get back in the gym with them. The main thing for us is to stay healthy throughout the season and making sure we build up and each month, getting better.”
Not many centers in the league can be a threat on both the offensive and defensive side of the field like Howard is when healthy. Ariza has been having some good moments in Houston. Whether it’s defending or hitting a spot up three-pointer, he can do it all. An all-around player is crucial for a team looking to win an NBA championship. With Harden drawing up much double teaming, Ariza can be the guy who could be left open to knock wide open three-point shots.
Then there is James Harden, a gifted offensive scorer who can be a threat from downtown or making a trip to the free-throw line by attacking the rim. However, Harden has been criticized for his lack of defense in the past. Last season, he began to show signs of improvement by averaging 1.9 steals per game. It’s no question he won’t struggle much on the offensive end, but if he can continue to improve as a defender, the Rockets will surely enjoy plenty of more success. If the team can remain healthy and continue to build on their team chemistry, it would be no surprise to see them launch into a title matchup.