2014-2015 Season Preview Q&A: Houston Rockets
To help get ready for the 2014-2015 NBA season Pelican Debrief is going through each of the 30 NBA team’s with help from other Fansided NBA writers. Today we are joined by Josh Haar of Space City Scoop, Fansided’s Houston Rockets blog, to talk Dwight Howard, Patrick Beverly and more.
1. Another year removed from back surgery what do you expect from Dwight Howard this year?
Josh: Personally, I hold high expectations for Howard in 2014-15. The big man’s back is fully healthy and, judging by his preseason play as well as positive praise from those working close to him, his current level of athleticism should allow him to dominate on both ends of the floor.
Two years after back surgery, I believe Howard will perform similarly to his days with the Orlando Magic. Expect the eight-time All-Star to produce in the area of 20 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks per contest.
2. Is Patrick Beverly good enough offensively to make letting Jeremy Lin go ok?
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Josh: When you compare Beverley’s game to Lin’s, the former’s offense fails to match the latter’s. Lin is unquestionably the superior attacker and playmaker of the two, as he averaged more assists per game (4.1 to 2.7) as well as a higher field goal percentage within 0-3 feet of the rim last season (63.7% to 56.8%).
However, with the way Houston’s roster is currently constructed, all Beverley needs to worry about offensively is hitting open threes and taking care of the ball. Considering he converted 36.1 percent of his threes and accumulated only 1.2 turnovers last year, the 26-year-old should prove reliable.
The loss of Jeremy Lin is significant, but the presence of Beverley as well as backup 1-man Isaiah Canaan will be enough to successfully replace his production.
3. How will the Rockets replace Chandler Parsons?
Josh: With Parsons gone, offseason acquisition Trevor Ariza will step in and take his place. The veteran small forward is coming off one of the strongest seasons of his career, where he averaged 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and a three point percentage of 40.7 for the Washington Wizards.
Expect this level of production to transfer over to the Rockets, as Ariza’s game will fit perfectly into Houston’s offensive system. Look for the 29-year-old to shoot a high percentage from three, score consistently on the break and play more effective perimeter defense than Parsons ever did.
4. Which young player do you expect to break out for the Rockets this year?
Josh: While many would argue power forward Terrence Jones as the young player to break out, I personally believe backup point guard Isaiah Canaan will experience success in this regard.
With Lin gone, Canaan is penciled in as the Rockets’ primary 1-man off the bench. He may not break out in the sense that he’ll take over Beverley’s spot, but the 23-year-old holds potential to take full advantage of the limited minutes he’ll play.
Canaan is athletic, fast and incredibly reliable as an offensive attacker. His ability to slice through defenses will allow him to score and make plays for others, and Houston will likely rely on him to provide consistent scoring off the pine. If his preseason average of 8.2 points in 11.9 minutes per game is any indicator, it’s clear Canaan has the talent to establish himself as a solid player in basketball’s biggest stage.
5. What is the best case scenario for the Rockets this year? Worst case? What do you expect to happen?
Josh:
Best case: the Rockets finish 5th in the Western Conference.
Worst case: the team misses the playoffs completely.
The fact of the matter is Houston isn’t ready to seriously compete in the West, as much of their roster is inexperienced. Consequently, even if Howard and James Harden play at an impressively high level, they will struggle to vie for a spot amongst the top four.
And if anything drastic occurs, such as a season-ending injury to Howard and/or Harden, it is feasible for the Rockets to miss the postseason entirely.
I personally think Houston will finish either 7th or 8th and lose in the first round of playoffs. With squads such as the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and your New Orleans Pelicans all making improvements, as well as the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trailblazers remaining relevant, the West is simply a tough conference to compete in. Nothing is guaranteed, and I envision the Rockets fighting all season long to secure a low seed.