2015-2016 Houston Rockets Tip Off Hype
First and foremost, welcome back to meaningful basketball in Houston. Not only does today mark the 44th year of the franchise in Houston and the return of the Western Conference finalist (And Southwestern Division champion) to the hardwood, but it also marks my 28th birthday. My hope is that the Rockets follow up the gift I was given by the Buffalo Sabres, a win.
That’s all fine and good. Let’s talk Rockets basketball.
Houston enters tonight’s tilt against Denver with, arguably, Denver’s best player now donning Rockets Red. Ty Lawson – the team’s biggest addition this offseason – is slated to play a major role in Houston’s pursuit of a title this year. The 27-year old guard posted 15 points, 10 assists, and 1 steal per game last year in a low year for the Nuggets. Lawson’s career 37% three-point shooting and ability to distribute/run an offense should take immense amounts of pressure off of James Harden and lead to versatility and a triple-headed attack not considered in Houston since the Artest/McGrady/Yao experiment.
The third head of that attack, Dwight Howard – despite fearmongering attempts to speculate about his liability/injuries – is ready to start the year. Unfortunately, Houston will be without its marquee center (regardless of what NBA votes say) due to a suspension dating back to Houston’s postseason run. Dwight, by the way, returns to the Rockets as a man who played through several significant injuries in the postseason while averaging 16 points, 14 boards, and 2 blocks per game. For reference, this puts Dwight head and shoulders above every center except for Anthony Davis (and, still, Davis only edges points and 1 more block).
Houston’s off-season was spent mostly fiddling at the margins – except for the Lawson addition – in order to keep the team sustainable. Clint Capela showed notable growth during the offseason to engender more faith in his viability as Dwight’s primary backup. Ty Lawson’s presence moves Patrick Beverley back to a bench role where he’ll quarterback Sam Dekker, Capela, Marcus Thornton, Terrence Jones/Donatas Motiejunas/Montrezl Harrell, and Corey Brewer. The depth the Rockets have amassed has been lauded this season and, certainly, stands as a huge positive for the team’s next attempt at the title.
Of course, what remains to be seen is whether Harden can be an iron man, yet again, for this team. Houston’s sustainability is clearly couched on whether their players can stay healthy. Yes, that’s applicable to every team. Yes, it’s more so applicable to Houston. The returning MVP the players voted Harden MVP, I trust that more than most national media) has to see the floor more often than not. It was Harden who anchored the team with Dwight’s recovery issues and it was Harden who keyed enormous victories for this team. Lawson’s addition and the depth at guard/small forward should take some minutes from Harden and, thankfully, allow him some much needed rest.
Kevin McHale is back at the helm of the Houston Rockets after signing a lengthy extension. In his Rockets tenure, McHale boasts a 61% regular season win percentage and a 45% playoff win percentage. Last year’s mark of 9-8 is his playoff career high. McHale engenders a faith and loyalty in his players and, in return, McHale offers honest appraisal and a long leash for his players that lets them grow and organically fit together.
The mark of this team under McHale has been a fairly fast and loose, read and react offensive system and an opportunistic defense ready to punish opposing teams for errors. Brewer, Beverley, Howard, and Ariza all play key roles in the defensive strategy that has seen much success in Houston.
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Houston enters tonight’s matchup at 6th in preseason power rankings and as a frequent “dark horse” for the NBA crown on the year. After last year’s stellar performance, the Rockets shouldn’t be mentioned as a dark horse. They have a returning MVP, a healthy Dwight Howard, a deeper team, and Ty Lawson now leading the point. Houston’s coach is one with job security and player loyalty that few other Houston coaches can speak of. The Rockets won nearly 70% of their games last year and now pose matchup problems for their greatest challenge – The Golden State Warriors.
What I’m trying to say, Red Nation, is that you enter tonight pumped, you expect huge things for this team, and you stay with us here at House of Houston in every step of the pursuit of Houston’s third NBA title.
Get up and let’s do this! #Pursuit
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