LENDING HARD EN A HAND
The NBA has reason to fear the Beard, but new coach needs a few more players who can reliably fill the basket
Coach Mike D’Antoni says he is never going to sit back, watch the Rockets and think, “Man, I wish we could score more.” With the up-tempo, high-powered offense the Rockets will bring to the court this season, that’s probably true.
Guard James Harden is an offensive machine. Since starting with the Rockets in 2012, he has yet to average less than 24 points per game — last season he scored 29 points per game in the regular season. He can, and will, carry a big load. There’s no question this year’s Rockets have offensive power, and a superstar to carry them.
The question, as they enter their 50th season as a franchise, is what else do they have?
Harden has proved he is able to do it all, but the Rockets need more than one guy if they want to take this season’s squad to new heights.
The last two seasons were the ups and downs of what ended up being a failed Dwight Howard-Harden experiment.
On paper, it was a great idea. Harden’s offensive skills mixed with Howard’s shut-down defense could have created a basketball powerhouse.
It seemed to for a while as the Rockets blasted into the Western Conference finals two seasons ago.
A more positive vibe
But last year was a different story. It ended with a 41-41 regular-season record, a first-round exit at the hands of the Golden State Warriors and a farewell to Howard, who is playing for his hometown Atlanta Hawks.
Starting with the firing of coach Kevin McHale early on and continuing with what seemed to be a disjointed locker room, the Rockets limped through the season and made something out of it because of the level of talent on the team.
Fast-forward through the summer and things look a lot different.
Harden found his perfect match in D’Antoni, who can build an offense around him.
The vibe of the team is positive. The players seem to like each other, to want to play for each other, to want to win for each other.
From the outside looking in, that was missing last season. Harden and Howard shared talent, but they lacked the chemistry a great team needs to win. The Rockets have that chemistry now. They don’t have another Howard, though.
He was injured a lot during his time with the Rockets, but Howard made an impact when he played, averaging a double-double in each of his three seasons with the team. He added defense in the post and gave the Rockets a second option behind Harden.
Must fill Howard’s void
But the Rockets don’t need Howard. His moving on was a good thing for him and for the team. But they do need someone. This is Harden’s team, but another player (or two) must have a breakout year if this team wants to put together a postseason run. There are a few options: Ryan Anderson, a 6-10 forward, is a versatile player. When he is open on the perimeter, he can hit shots. He scored 17 points per game in New Orleans last season.
His Pelicans teammate, 6-4 guard Eric Gordon, is one of the best pure shooters in the game. Two seasons ago, he shot over 44 percent from 3-point range.
Holdovers have upsides
Trevor Ariza has pep in his step and has been a force for the Rockets over the past two seasons. Corey Brewer has been up and down, but he has been a key scorer and defender in big games over the last season and a half.
Clint Capela and K.J. McDaniels are young, but they have potential. Pat Beverley is hurt again, but when healthy he can bring solid play to the table.
The roster has potential. The Rockets can score, for sure.
But who else can create offense? Who can defend well enough to hold off opponents in a stacked Western Conference? Who can step up when Harden is inevitably double-teamed?
Someone must for the Rockets to excel this season.
There’s no negativity in the locker room. The players get along. This is Harden’s team and there is no one to challenge that anymore.
But the best players need strong supporting casts. Whether it’s one of the former Pelicans, one of the seasoned veterans or one of the young, budding Rockets, someone must step up to the next level so Harden’s team can, too.