2014-2015 in Review
The Houston Rockets won their first division title since the 1993-1994 season, when they won the NBA Finals. James Harden made his campaign for NBA MVP, scoring 27.4 points-per-game last season, which ranked second in the NBA. Five triple-doubles spearheaded his candidacy, but Harden was ultimately topped by Stephen Curry in the voting.
The six-year veteran averaged career highs in points, assists (7.0apg), and rebounds (5.7rpg) in 2014-2015, all while starting a career-high 81 games.
The Rockets were the best team in the Southwest Division for the majority of the season, yet barely held on to finish first. As the second seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, they moved out of the first round in five games and were nearly ousted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the semifinals.
Down 3-1 in the series, the Rockets made a miraculous comeback, winning three straight games to advance to the Western Conference Finals. They would then fall short of the NBA Finals at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, who moved on in five games.
New Additions
Ty Lawson
Lawson's highly anticipated departure from the Denver Nuggets came in a trade that landed him in Texas. The Nuggets and Rockets swapped draft picks in the trade, while Houston sent four players to Denver in the deal. Lawson, who was arrested for DUI for the second time earlier in the year, will likely overtake Patrick Beverley as the starting point guard. Entering his seventh year in the NBA, Lawson has been a troubling locker room presence. Acquiring the 27 year-old was a gamble and the Rockets are certainly hoping his presence is more beneficial than detrimental in Houston.
Sam Dekker
The 18th overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft had a successful junior season at Wisconsin and was a major player in the Badgers' run to the NCAA National Championship. Dekker was second on the team in nearly every category behind eighth overall pick and 2015 NCAA Player of the Year, Frank Kaminsky. After losing to Duke in the National Championship, Dekker declared for the draft and will now work his way into playing time at small forward behind Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer.
Montrezl Harrell
With the 32nd pick in the draft, the Rockets selected another successful college athlete out of Louisville. Harrell averaged a team-high 9.2 rebounds-per-game in his junior season and was second to Terry Rozier with 15.7 points-per-game. Entering his rookie season in the NBA, Harrell brings solid defense and explosiveness to the Rockets at power forward. He, too, will fight for playing time.
Key Losses
Josh Smith
Signed by the Rockets last December after being released by the Detroit Pistons, Smith was an integral part of the Rockets' success in 2014-2015. A special delivery wrapped in a big bow, the 29 year-old settled into a role on the bench with the Rockets and provided crucial depth at the power forward position.
Smith is no longer the player he once was with the Atlanta Hawks but was able to overcome the lack of starts and provide quality minutes for the Southwest Division champions. Now with the Los Angeles Clippers, Smith leaves behind a void that will be filled by Donatas Motiejunas, who is recovering from back surgery that has kept him sidelined since April.
Biggest Strength
Backcourt
The addition of Ty Lawson to the Rockets' backcourt will create numerous problems for opposing defenses. James Harden showed his ability to facilitate the offense last season, while Lawson's 9.6 assists-per-game was third in the NBA. The two starting guards can put the ball in the hoop, but their ball distribution should make the Rockets' offense exponentially more potent.
Off the bench, Kevin McHale has viable backups in Patrick Beverley, Jason Terry, and K.J. McDaniels, completing what could be one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Depth is another strongpoint for the Rockets, but is especially advantageous at the guard position.
Biggest Weakness
Defense
The Rockets are not a strong defensive group and surrendered 100.5 points-per-game to opponents last season, ranking in the bottom half of NBA teams. They are very capable scorers, but had a +3.4 point differential in 2014-2015 and allowed opponents to stay in games with sloppy defense.
If a team is able to keep the Rockets' offense under wraps, like the Warriors did in the Western Conference Finals, their defense ultimately fails to keep them in games. Among dominant offenses in the West, Kevin McHale will have to improve his defense if the Rockets wish to take their season a step further.
Bottom Line
The Rockets improved slightly this offseason but remain in the toughest division in basketball. Their fans have been holding their breaths after James Harden went down with a knee contusion in their most recent preseason game. Harden, if healthy, will assuredly come out with another MVP campaign in 2015-2016 and will benefit with Ty Lawson as his running mate.
Unfortunately, the addition of LaMarcus Aldridge drastically improves the San Antonio Spurs, who nearly stole the division from the Rockets last season. Houston is undoubtedly a playoff team, but the loss of Josh Smith could be more detrimental than it first appeared.
Fantasy Slant
Most overrated: Dwight Howard
Howard was once, and still should be, the best center in the NBA. Last season he did not crack the top 20 in any category among centers. Back problems have taken a toll on the 29 year-old, whose 15.8 points-per-game last season was the lowest since his 2005-2006 season.
Howard missed half of the 2014-2015 season, but played in all 17 of the Rockets' playoff games. He showed that he is still a complimentary piece to Harden and powerful force down low but, entering his 12th season in the NBA, Howard should be approached with caution in the fantasy world.
Most underrated: Donatas Motiejunas
Before missing the last two months of the 2014-2015 season, Motiejunas was emerging as one of the more underrated players in the NBA. He is a valuable backup to Terrence Jones at power forward and should benefit from the departure of Josh Smith.
In his third year in the league, Motiejunas averaged 12.0 points-per-game and 5.9 rebounds-per-game (both career-highs) and was able to reach 20-point double-doubles on several occasions. If he is able to retain his health in 2015-2016, the 25 year-old Lithuanian will gain further recognition across the league.
Biggest surprise: Ty Lawson
Lawson has proved his worth in his six years in the league. Now, on his second NBA team, he has the most well-rounded roster to quarterback. Lawson played with Carmelo Anthony for two years on the Nuggets, but his numbers improved exponentially after Anthony's departure. He reached a career-high in assists last season and could do it again by breaking into double digits this season. Alongside Harden at the helm of the Rockets' offense, there is some uncertainty surrounding Lawson. He is a known head case and could surprise for better or for worse in 2015-2016.