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By: Rahat Huq
It's now 5:45 AM at the time of writing. I went to bed at 1:18 AM. Soooo, you do the math - I'm not exactly awake right now. But this cup of coffee on my desk will give me a good hour and this preview isn't going to write itself. So away we go. This piece won't be styled formalistically in the manner of years past because I could literally fall asleep here at any moment, so we'll do a stream of consciousness of my current thoughts. Starting with Chris Bosh because I'm still depressed. Do you guys realize that were it not for eleventh hour panic offer from the Miami Heat, this preview would be titled something like "Why the Houston Rockets are the favorite to win the NBA Championship"? That really hurts. I'm still excited about the season because, it's basketball, and I run a basketball blog, but the pain from that turn of events still lingers...not just because Terrence Jones seems to have somehow regressed from last season.
James Harden's scoring will reach closer to 30ppg than 25 as he and Russell Westbrook will jockey for the top two spots on the scoring league leaders list; this is pretty much inevitable with Kevin Durant out, Lebron probably relinquishing the load, and Kobe closing in on his 40th birthday. Westbrook might average 35 a game and I mean that. (That would be 35 shots a game, of course). But Harden is looking better than ever after a summer as Team USA's leader, and will have even more responsibility with Chandler Parsons and Jeremy Lin both now playing in bigger markets. There of course is also the still lingering criticism of Harden's defense, more pervasive than ever...which naturally will lead him to expend even greater effort upon trying to outscore his opponent. I jest. Sort of.
Jeremy Lin was an underestimated loss even if he exhibited less confidence in himself than Kenny Smith trying to bring the ball up against Derek Harper in the '94 Finals. (If you don't know, Youtube it. He literally couldn't bring the ball up). But Lin, for his flaws, and an ego made of glass, was still a threat that could attack the rim and hold the defense accountable. Each backup from the current crop has his own qualities, but it will have to sort itself out.
Trevor Ariza was the most underrated signing of the offseason as his presence now legitimately gives the team three very good to elite defenders in its starting lineup. In a sport that suits only five men per team at any given time, that jump from two to three is very, very, very significant and will be a fascinating variable to monitor as the season progresses. The team will miss Parsons' versatility in the pick and roll, but in the aggregate, I'd venture to guess that Ariza's contributions on the other end will offset the offensive loss.
Ariza and a new defensive scheme could be just what the doctor ordered, though it remains to be seen if the hiring of T.R. Dunn will be accompanied by the latter. The team last year, it seemed at times, did not have a scheme except "play hard...play harder", so any evolution on that front, one would guess, would yield abundant returns. (It's interesting that for as great as Patrick Beverley is individually, his effectiveness dips drastically against pick and roll coverage...and even more interesting that this has never been addressed).
Dwight Howard is the NBA's forgotten man because after years of public vilification (all probably deserved after his embarrassing handling of the initial Dwightmare in Orlando), no one outside of Houston seems to even care that he exists. And that's fine by me; Hakeem flew under the radar for years. But I remain alone, it seems, in the opinion that the big man's performance last summer in publicly humiliating Robin Lopez was not truly indicative of anything upon which to rest future weight. It was a perfect matchup against a guy that simply had no chance. Whether Howard can repeat that type of play against the Thunder or Clippers is a question to which, sadly, few who follow this team would respond in the affirmative. And that's unfortunate, because with this current manifestation of the Rockets, such production from Howard would be requisite to pull off such an upset.
Still, it seems surreal at times to see the broad-shouldered specimen standing in the team's caricaturely hideous duds and think "Dwight Howard is a Houston Rocket." He's still awe-inspiring at times, and still the game's pre-eminent center, even if that title doesn't hold the weight it linguistically should. Howard's personal transformation, from last season to now, has been drastic, evoking memories of Olajuwon's spiritual rebirth in the mid 90's. He is happy, he feels wanted, he feels vindicated in his decision, and he knows what's at stake. But is he good enough?
There were spurts last season where I uttered the blasphemous words on this very page, that he "looked like Olajuwon", displaying sequences of moves I never thought possible. There was also the night Andrea Bargnani shamed him. Dwight Howard remains an enigma but alas, an enigma I am oh-so-grateful to have on my team. He's undoubtedly worth every penny of the lucrative max contract to which the team signed him last summer.
Harden will score, Ariza and Beverley will breathe life into the team and its identity, and the club will waver between the top-middle few spots in the West. They could even be better than last year. But ultimately, the eventual fate will rest upon the coming deal Daryl Morey has yet to have made. There are names to be had, from Rondo to Millsap, and any one, coupled with a defensive resurgence, could very easily vault Houston to the very top of the standings. Again, we wait, but in the meantime, we witness the present transformation. With Parsons gone, how far will Houston dip in the offensive rankings, and with Ariza in tow, how high can they climb on the opposing list? The gold standard is top-10 on both sides and that goal would appear to be very much in sight. Can they shore up their wounds at the power forward spot after being decimated at that position last April? Again, for the second consecutive season, that '4' hole is Houston's biggest concern entering the new year. What happens there will very likely determine Houston's eventual landing.
Yes LMA took him to school in the playoffs, but it seems everyone has drawn a conclusion from that event. T-Jones had a very good year last year, yet the lack of respect his efforts have garnered is surprising to say the least. he was a young second year player taking the load of starting PF for the first time, put up respectable numbers, but because of a couple of bad matchups we are ready to trash him? I disagree with anyone who think he isn't the best PF prospect we have. I like D-Mo but T-Jones is more likely to become our answer at PF than D-Mo IMO. LMA, Blake Griffen and Ibakka are stars for a reason. T-Jones wasn't the first to be roasted by one of these players. first year players often have to take their lumps the hard way. however many here talk as if we have nothing at the position. CHUCKY BROWN. does that name ring a bell? that was our starting PF in the 94-95 championship run. we are good enough at the other position to allow both T-Jones and D-Mo to continue to mature at the position. I don't understand the panic concerning PF. could we use an upgrade? YES, but what player on the market is better than what we have? and don't give me Milsap. I like Milsap, but he isn't going the shut down LMA or Blake Griffen. he's going to get toasted just like T-Jones or D-Mo. every teams has weaknesses. it's the team who can play to their strength without having there weaknesses exposed who will prosper. both T-Jones and D-Mo bring certain things to the table. if we had a reasonable coach who knew how to read matchups better he could get the best of both players and that would be enough to fill PF. I'm not going to go on a McHale bashing spree, but this is one of the areas he is weakest. without the proper guidance it's up to the players to find their way. one more point on McHale and I promise to leave him alone 
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gotta hope for the best while preparing for the worst. I'm trusting Morey on this one.
