After playing well during that six-game series, averaging 10.7 points per game while shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc, he was re-signed in the offseason. Over the final 24 games of the season, he averaged 8.0 points and 3.3 rebounds while playing 18.6 minute a night.įrancisco Garcia - Like Beverley, Garcia didn't play a huge role for Houston in the regular season but saw his minutes increase during the postseason. A big, athletic power forward who dominated the D-League last year, he could end up starting if the Asik-Howard pairing struggles from Day 1.ĭonatas Motiejunas - After playing rarely over the first few months of the season, Motiejunas started seeing an increase in burn around late February. Terrence Jones - Of the Rockets' three 2012 first-round picks, Jones is the only one still around. In six playoff games, he averaged 33.3 minutes per game and put up 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists a night. Patrick Beverley - As a rookie in 2012-13, Beverley didn't play a huge role for Houston early on, but he emerged late in the season as a contributor. More: All of SB Nation's NBA previews to date Key Reserves We forget what it's like when things are going right sometimes, but Howard's arrival in Houston could potentially change the outlook of the Western Conference. Despite everything that went wrong, he still averaged 17.1 points and 12.4 rebounds over 76 games, led the Lakers to the postseason and earned third-team All-NBA honors. Even last season, when Howard played through back problems on a highly dysfunctional Lakers team, the center was as good as practically anyone at his position. A fantastic rim protector who led the league in total rebounds last season, Asik will find a role with this team somehow unless he gets traded.ĭwight Howard - Say what you'd like about the occasionally immature big man, but Howard can be as dominant as arguably anyone in the game. And while the team will surely try out a number of different looks with its frontcourt next season, the highly durable Asik - he's never missed a regular season game in his three NBA seasons - should get big minutes regardless of how things play out. Omer Asik- It's unclear whether the Rockets will actually start Asik next to Howard going forward, but the possibility seems legitimate. Like Harden, he needs to improve his work on the defensive end, but he has some size and should be competent in time. Starting 76 games last season for Houston, he averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, all while shooting a highly efficient 49 percent from the floor. Already exceeding the expectations of many people around the league, he could take things to another level by progressing as a two-way player.Ĭhandler Parsons - Also known as one of the sport's biggest bargains with a 2013-14 salary of just $926,500, Parsons brings a wide variety of skills to the table. While the 24-year-old may be a poor defender at the moment, he's one of the game's special offensive players, an expertly aggressive scorer who pressures defenses and racks up points. James Harden - The first domino in GM Daryl Morey's plan to build a contender, acquiring Harden before the 2012-13 season proved to be a master stroke by the team. Houston was actually a better team with Lin on the bench last season, partially because of the emergence of Patrick Beverley, but games like a 38-point outburst against San Antonio showed Lin's potential. Next to the usage-heavy Harden, it's been a work-in-progress for Lin to recalibrate and polish his game, but the flashes were there during an inconsistent season. Jeremy Lin - Linsanity is long gone, leaving behind a talented-but-flawed young point guard to find its place in the league. Assuming D12 has a healthy back and the right attitude, there's little doubt he could create a devastating one-two punch with Harden, but we'll need to see it unfold on the court first. That leads to as many questions as answers, particularly after the turmoil Howard both produced and dealt with over the past two years. More Rockets previews THE DREAM SHAKE: Preview from our Rockets blog
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