Several changes won’t stall Rockets
The Rockets keep transforming.
And with that, they raise questions as training camp approaches. In less than a month, the revamped team will take the court together and start prepping for the 2018-19 season.
Just when it seemed the addition of Carmelo Anthony would be the biggest change they would face this season, Daryl Morey traded the most untradeable player in the NBA, Ryan Anderson, last week.
Now the Rockets look more different.
Despite key losses and additions that have torn a fan base, the Rockets look like a good basketball team — especially in today’s NBA.
The Rockets are going to do all the things that carried them to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals last season. They will shoot 3-pointers at will. They will be up-tempo and will be one of — if not the best offensive team in the NBA.
They have a handful of players who don’t have a clear spot in Mike D’Antoni’s nine-man rota-
tion.
Heading into camp, though, that could be a good thing. Healthy competition for playing time can help some players rise to the top. Time will tell if the Rockets have those types of players.
The bad news is easy to spot with the Rockets. They progressed in leaps and bounds defensively last season and were at some points of the season considered one of the better defensive squads in the league.
That was largely due to the additions of Chris Paul, P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute. Trevor Ariza was a defensive specialist for the team and welcomed the additions.
Fast-forward a year and two of the four defenders are gone. Ariza took a one-year deal in Phoenix and Mbah a Moute headed to the Clippers.
Paul, who has been one of the greatest defenders in basketball, is back, as is Tucker, who has a knack for perimeter defending.
The Rockets kept fan favorite forward Gerald Green and signed veteran All-Star forward Anthony. As good as both are at scoring, neither can replace the defense lost.
Divisive acquisition
The Anthony signing has Rockets fans taking sides. They are pro or con when it comes to him and few are neutral.
The Rockets have sought Anthony for years. There’s no reason to believe he can’t thrive here. According to reports last week, Anthony is as excited as he’s been in years to start the season.
He’s healthy, he’s late in his career and looking for a championship. He and Paul are good friends and share goals. They join reigning MVP James Harden, who is hungry for a title as well.
When Anthony joined the Rockets, one thing was clear. There was no more room for Anderson and his hefty contract.
The Rockets wanted to trade Anderson last season and never found a taker.
Everyone involved remained professional about the situation, but the twinge of awkwardness was palpable in Toyota Center this season. Anderson didn’t fit the way they wanted him to.
He will be better off in Phoenix. With Anthony in the mix, there were no more minutes for Anderson. The Rockets will be better off, too. They gave up a good prospect in De’Anthony Melton, but got two potentially solid additions in Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight.
The jury is out
Chriss hasn’t lived up to his potential, but he will play with veteran Nene -—who has been credited with helping Clint Capela — and Capela, who gets better every season.
Chriss could provide the Rockets with another defensive-minded big man. That never hurts.
Knight is a wild card. He’s been out with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. His outside shooting in Phoenix left a lot to be desired and he has never lived up to his $60 million contract.
That said, the Rockets had times they needed a good backup point guard. If a healthy Knight gives them that, the trade will be considered a success.
There is a lot to figure out and a lot of places the Rockets will need to improve.
But overall, the offseason was good.
The Rockets should be in every conversation about the top NBA teams.