Houston Rockets Starting Lineup And Roster Talk

With the NBA preseason over a month away, I would like to take the time to give my prediction of what the starting five and reserves will look like for the Houston Rockets this upcoming season.

While there have been a few additions to the team this off-season, only two spots in the lineup remain in question. I hope to predict those gaps here today.

At starting point guard, it will have to be Ty Lawson, who the Rockets picked up in the offseason in a trade with the Denver Nuggets. Lawson brings a dynamic style to the position because he can drive to the lane if need be, he can shoot the ball, he’s a good passer and with his speed and agility, he can decently defend a point guard driven league. Now people will ask about Patrick Beverley but I think he’s a better back-up PG than starting as he demonstrated during the Linsanity era. While Beverly could get that spot back, you don’t spend good money on a PG who has a history of being a starter. Jason Terry will be the team’s third point guard.

The answer is very easy for starting shooting guard. Of course James Harden will be starting at that spot, with his backup player being either K.J. McDaniels who the Rockets signed and/or Marcus Thornton, who the Rockets signed in the offseason. McDaniels could learn a lot from playing behind Harden, and although McDaniels showed some flare playing with the Sixers this past season, he still has growing to do. Who better to learn from than “The Beard” and runner-up for NBA MVP last season, James Harden?

Starting small forward will continue to be Trevor Ariza, who showed that he is a better role player than he is star (evident in the first time he was in Houston). Ariza was able to be the D-and-three player that the Rockets needed and he’ll continue to do that on a high level this season. He’ll also have some young, experienced backup if need be with the re-signing of Corey Brewer and drafting the young and athletic Sam Dekker from the University of Wisconsin. This position has plenty of legs to run up and down the court.

The power forward position is where the most competition for starter will take place. This position should be the most talked about before and during the upcoming season. For the sake of this argument, my vote is with Donatas Motiejunas over Terrence Jones.

While T-Jones, who came back from injury, took the place of D-Mo towards the end of last season, D-Mo owned that position until he got injured. He is eager and ready to play, and with all the training he has been able to do, he has only improved. D-Mo is an excellent post-player, a good passer, can finish around the rim and shoots better at free throws than T-Jones. He definitely looks more confident in the role too, and plays better along the starting center, Dwight Howard.

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Speaking of…Howard is coming into his third season with the Rockets and each year he has progressed as a player. With the cast the Rockets have this season, there is no reason to not make it to the NBA Finals. The only questions with Howard are his leadership and free-throw ability, which he always works on. Howard can carry this team and take the weight off of Harden, especially in the playoffs where Harden seems to struggle, and with backup Clint Capela observing the All-Star center, Howard has to be a strong role-model.

On paper, this team definitely looks tough to beat. Although there are three championships between the whole team, (Brewer and Terry with the Mavericks and Ariza with the Lakers) the experience amongst the team is great and the chemistry is even better. If healthy, this team could finally make it to the NBA Finals.

Stick with us here at House of Houston for all your Rockets offseason coverage.

Next: Why Lawson Is A Great Fit In Houston

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