Trouble On The Launching Pad

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After making a trip to the Western Conference Finals last spring, the Houston Rockets felt that they would have what it would take to win an NBA Championship this year. The Rockets have one of the best scorers that is currently in the NBA in shooting guard James Harden along with one of the best rebounders and interior defenders in center Dwight Howard. And after acquiring point guard Ty Lawson from the Denver Nuggets last summer, the Rockets appeared ready to be ready for lift off.

But the Rockets got off to a slow start with a record of 4-7 which would cost head coach Kevin McHale his job as he was fired. The Rockets are currently 17-19 which finds them in fourth place in the Southwest Division and seventh place overall in the Western Conference. The Rockets still might be able to make the NBA Playoffs this spring, but they are far from having the look of a title contender like they once expected.

Daryl Morey

Whereas McHale might have been the fall guy for the Rockets on-court performance, their problems primarily fall into the lap of general manager Daryl Morey. Morey has been the Rockets general manager since 2007 and he has been the victim of “analysis paralysis”. Instead of Morey seeking to build a team of players that can co-exist and win together, Morey relies too much on sabermetrrics which should be a part of putting a team together, but not everything. And with that mindset by Morey, he tends to overlook players that possess intangibles that could potentially help the Rockets win.

James Harden

The Rockets have lacked chemistry all season. Harden remains as one of the top scorers in the NBA as he is averaging 28.1 per contest which is second in the league, while Howard is still one of the top rebounders as he is pulling 11.7 rebounds per game which is third. However, Lawson has never been a fit for the Rockets this season as he has only started 11 games in Houston while averaging career-lows in points (6.5), and assists (4.2). Lawson is a point guard that thrives off of penetration to the basket and it has been tough for him to get it going being that Harden is an isolation player which can slow down the tempo of the offense. Lawson is currently seeking a trade out of Houston, while the Rockets have also been a team that has lacked leadership all season long.

The Rockets lost their first three games of the season, each by 20 points which was a harbinger of things to come. The Rockets also lost to the previously winless Brooklyn Nets while their longest winning streak of the season has only been four games. The Rockets have lost four out of their last six games which included them being unable to take advantage of the Golden State Warriors this past Saturday night who were playing without the reigning NBA MVP in point guard Stephen Curry.

A big part of the Rockets problem this season has been on the defensive end of the floor where they have lacked an overall intensity. The Rockets are tied for 26th in the NBA this season in points allowed (105.8), while being 28th in opponents field-goal percentage (.464) as opponents are making nearly 40 field goals per contest. As good as Howard can be individually, he is known to check out mentally; especially in key situations while Harden will never be known for being a good defender. And without an emphasis on the defensive end of the floor or solid leadership, the Rockets stand to be a mediocre team this season.

J.B. Bickerstaff

When McHale was fired, J.B. Bickerstaff was named as the Rockets interim head coach in a move that was expected to jolt the team, but it hasn’t. The Western Conference is a bit down this year which does mean that the Rockets could make the playoffs, but with a large possibility of them meeting either the Warriors or San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the postseason, their chances won’t be good as far as advancing.

Morey has survived this long in Houston, but a philosophy change is needed there. Harden will is still one of the best scorers in the NBA, but lately it has been him and four other guys on the floor that are waiting for him to get something done as there is nobody else on this team to take some of the scoring load off of him; especially in the fourth quarter as all that the Rockets currently are is a pretty sports car that simply lacks an engine.

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