There's Still Time, But Houston's Had A Rough Offseason So Far

By Salman Ali on June 10, 2018
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After losing Luc Mbah a Moute to the Clippers Monday night, the Houston Rockets find themselves in murky waters after coming off a wildly successful 2017-18 campaign. Mbah a Moute was a vital part of Houston's switching scheme that led to the 6th best defense in the NBA last season. To compound matters, the Rockets had already lost out starting small forward Trevor Ariza on the opening night of free agency and keeping Luc Mbah a Moute had become a priority to fill a need that was once a strength for Houston; wing depth.

Mbah a Moute is a top flight perimeter defender that the Rockets had managed to pick up on the cheap ($2.1 million) last summer. While Trevor Ariza is generally not as good defensively as his reputations suggests, losing him for what would have essentially been a luxury tax penalty is a tough blow. Houston liked to switch every ball screen and having the length of Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker, and Luc Mbah a Moute really forced even the best offenses in the NBA to make difficult decisions. Without two of those defenders, it will be incredibly difficult to repeat the kind of success the Rockets had last season as their defense was the primary reason the Rockets jumped from 55 wins and a 2nd round out to 65 wins and a Western Conference Finals out the following season.

To make matters worse, the Rockets have yet to re-sign restricted free agent center Clint Capela. Capela was also a big part of Houston's switching scheme on defense and had made a significant improvement in rim protection the past two seasons. Capela was also a dynamic run runner and consistent pick and roll threat that fit perfectly alongside guards Chris Paul and James Harden. The Rockets extended a qualifying offer to Capela before free agency and apparently opened negotiations with a 4-year, $60 million offer, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. Capela and his agent can either take the qualifying offer and enter free agency next summer or come to a deal with the Rockets this summer.

To be fair to the Rockets, there's still plenty of time to turn this around. Regular season basketball doesn't tip off until late October and the Rockets still have avenues to improve the team. They can still offer their taxpayer mid-level exception and veteran's minimum contracts to round out their roster through remaining free agents and are reportedly determined to sign forward Carmelo Anthony as soon as he is waived, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. They also have all of their future draft picks moving forward (aside from their 2019 2nd round pick) to make trades.

Also, few general managers in the league are as creative and patient with roster moves as Daryl Morey. He's bounced back from tough starts to offseasons before and often has contingency plans for everything that could go possibly go wrong in a summer. He's built up enough trust equity to give him the time and patience to work through this. It would be unwise to completely dismiss the Rockets this summer considering their track record.

Report: Trevor Ariza out for Rockets Upcoming Road Trip

By Matthew Cardenas on January 17, 2018

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Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has reported that forward Trevor Ariza will miss the upcoming four-game road trip for the Rockets after injuring his hamstring in Sunday's win against the Phoenix Suns. Ariza left the game 36 seconds in after getting fouled on a dunk attempt by Marquese Chriss and landing awkwardly. He will also miss Tuesday's home game against the Orlando Magic. The road trip will consist of games against the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat, with three of those teams being playoff teams in their respective conferences.

The Rockets cannot seem to catch a break with injuries. The starting lineup of Chris Paul, James Harden, Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela have only played in 17 of 48 games this season. Paul also left Sunday's game early but said he is fine. He has been declared questionable for Tuesday's game with groin soreness.

This is where their depth helps, especially at the wing. Gerald Green should be seeing a lot more playing time next week. He fell out of the rotation once Luc Mbah a Moute returned from injury, but saw playing time Sunday with Ariza leaving the game. Green had 8 points and 2 rebounds in 17 minutes, his first real action since January 15th.

Just when the Rockets were at full health for the first time in nearly a month, the injury bug strikes again. Don't be surprised to see the Rockets play it safe and sit Paul on Tuesday. But with two of the four games of the road trip being against the Cavaliers and Spurs, Ariza's absence will be severely missed.

Report: Trevor Ariza Out for Rockets Road Trip

Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Early in the season, the injury bug has hit the Rockets. Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle has reported that forward Trevor Ariza will miss the Rockets upcoming road trip against the 76ers, Hornets and Grizzlies. Ariza is dealing with a sprained left foot after being stepped on during Monday's game against the Grizzlies.

https://twitter.com/Jonathan_Feigen/status/923276259236433920

Due to Ariza's injury, the Rockets have called up Troy Williams from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers after only being there for one day. He was with the team for six games last season and had nice moments, showing his perimeter shooting and using his length and athleticism defensively. Even if Williams does not start, he has a chance to see playing time while Ariza recovers.

During the road trip, look for either P.J. Tucker or Luc Mbah a Moute to take Ariza's place in the starting lineup. While they may not be able to shoot as well as Ariza, both of the players are solid perimeter defenders who will fill the void.

The injury bug is starting to hit the Rockets hard. Chris Paul is still out for a few weeks, and Nene and Ariza are dealing with injuries as well. It does not help to have 2/5 of the starting lineup out. This is where having an older roster can have its negatives. Although a team would never want their players to be injured, it is preferred to have them early in the season and hopefully not linger throughout the year.

Fortunately, James Harden is still healthy. As long as he is on the court, the Rockets will be in games. He has shown the team can throw almost anyone on the court with him and he will find a way to win games. Once again, he will have to do that.

Rockets 128, Magic 104 - Fresh Legs Push Rockets Past Orlando

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Following a brutal stretch of the schedule that saw the Rockets play 14 games in just 23 days, including a 5-game road trip to close out January, the Rockets were very welcoming to an extended rest and a home game against a poor team in the Orlando Magic. The Rockets lost eight of those 14 games, but have won back-to-back games since, handily beating Orlando on Tuesday.

Despite the three-days rest, the Rockets looked a little rusty to start this game - only making three of their first ten attempts from the field and allowing Orlando to jump on a 18-9 lead. Houston took the lead shortly thereafter thanks to a scoring flurry that included back-to-back threes from Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon, as well as a steal and transition lay-up from Ariza. The Rockets, led by Ariza’s 14 points, went on a 24-8 run to close out the opening period – cemented by an ever-so-spry play from backup center Nene.

Defense ➡️ Dunk 🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/8Ndlc5T2X1

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 8, 2017

Nene kept the party going early in the second quarter, scoring nine points (he finished the game with 13) and helping the Rockets build a huge 23-point lead. James Harden was quietly having a great game, scoring 16 points and dishing out eight assists with only two turnovers in the first half. The most fun Harden pass was easily a dish off to Clint Capela in the post for a traditional big-man jam… oh wait, that’s PATRICK BEVERLEY.

Levitate, levitate @patbev21.

Squad up 67-48! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/OkgyZOXF69

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 8, 2017

The Rockets went into halftime with a 70-54 lead thanks to efficient play that included 54.2% shooting from the field (44.4% from three). However, the third quarter was much, much less efficient as Houston only converted on three of eleven attempts from beyond the arc (27.3%), and 30% shooting from the field overall. This allowed Orlando to outscore the Rockets 30-24 in the period, cutting the Rockets lead down to just ten (94-84).

Orlando further cut the lead down to eight points in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, but the Rockets were not going to allow the Magic back into this game – not on the night Houston honored Hakeem “the Dream” Olajuwon.

LEGEND. #Rockets50 pic.twitter.com/uSDFPbOuZE

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) February 8, 2017

James Harden grew frustrated in the final period, even getting into a brief scuffle with Bismack Biyombo. The frustration stemmed from Harden not getting a few foul calls (in which he obviously got fouled) and going scoreless in the period. Nonetheless, he dished out four assists and the Rockets never looked back. Beverley added nine points to his 14-point total, and both Eric Gordon and Sam Dekker each added a couple of threes.

Impressively, seven Rockets scored in double figure and the team managed to commit nine steals while only committing ten turnovers (the team averages 15.4 per game). Houston also shot 42.1% (16/38) from behind the three-point line. All of these stats, plus the efficient play from the likes of Harden, Beverley, Ariza, Capela, Gordon, and Nene, all signify just how important this bit of rest was for the Rockets.

An interesting wrinkle in Tuesday’s game is that, even in garbage time, Montrezl Harrell didn’t see any playing time. Meanwhile, Clint Capela and Nene played 28 and 18 minutes, respectively. There may just not have been enough time for Harrell, but this move is very interesting given that the NBA Trade Deadline is a mere two weeks away (rumors will be uncontrollable until then).

Houston will look to keep up their winning ways on Thursday in Charlotte when the Rockets take on the struggling Hornets, who just snapped a seven-game losing streak on Tuesday.

Game Ball

 This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.

Tuesday’s game ball goes to Trevor Ariza.

This game was basically efficient all across the board for the Rockets. Harden put up a routine 25 points/13 assists, Beverley contributed 14 points/6 rebounds/7 assists, and, in general, the team shot very well from the field. Trevor Ariza is undoubtedly the player that needed this kind of game the most, however, as he really struggled in those January games. Most of his 20 points came in the first quarter (he also added seven rebounds and four assists in the game), but his efficiency is something that has really been lacking as of late. He shot 47% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc, and added two more steals (he’s third in the league in steals per game and has 105 on the season).

It’s good to get Ariza going because the Rockets are 16-3 when he scores at least 15 points.

Game Preview: Houston Rockets vs Boston Celtics

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After going an impressive 4-1 over a five game road trip, ending in shocking back-to-back wins against the Warriors and Nuggets, the Rockets are back home to face the Boston Celtics. The Rockets are led in both scoring and assists by James Harden (28.3 points and 11.8 assists per game), and in rebounding by Clint Capela, who pulls in 8.4 rebounds a game. After what was possibly their toughest 20 game stretch of the season, the Rockets rank 3rd in offensive rating, 27th in defense, and 7th in net rating.

After starting off 3-4, the Celtics have turned their season around a bit, going 9-4 since, now sitting at 12-8 on the season, and third in the eastern conference. The Celtics are led in points and assists by Isaiah Thomas, who averages 26.3 points per game to go with 6.4 assists, and in rebounds by Avery Bradley, who averages 7.9 rebounds a game. The Celtics rank 9th in offensive rating, 18th in defensive rating, and 11th in net rating.

Starting Lineups

The Rockets had a bit of an injury scare with Trevor Ariza going down late in the blowout victory over the Nuggets with back spasms. Ariza is reportedly day-to-day and was limited in practice on Sunday. The Rockets are likely to continue to start with James Harden at point guard, Patrick Beverley at shooting guard, Trevor Ariza at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward, and Clint Capela at center, with Eric Gordon getting starter’s minutes, and one of Dekker or Brewer in Ariza's place if he can't go.

The Celtics wanted to make a big splash in free agency this off-season, and while they didn't get Kevin Durant, they got arguably the next best guy available in Al Horford. The Celtics are likely to start Isaiah Thomas at point guard, Avery Bradley at shooting guard, Jae Crowder at small forward, Amir Johnson at power forward, and Al Horford at center.

Three Things to Watch

• Big Al - In two games against the Rockets last season, Al Horford dominated the game, averaging 26 and 11 to go with over 50% shooting from 3. Watch to see if Clint Capela is able to do a better job than Dwight when guarding Al Horford.
  


• Hit the boards - The Celtics rank dead last in defensive rebounding percentage, while the Rockets rank third in offensive rebounding percentage. Watch to see if the Rockets can continue to bludgeon teams on the boards, especially the worst defensive rebounding team in the NBA.


• Montrezl showing up - Over the last two games, Montrezl Harrell served as the backup center, while Nene sat out with knee soreness. Montrezl did not disappoint, averaging nearly 11 points and 7 rebounds to go with a block and a half in about 22 minutes per game. Watch to see if Harrell has earned a permanent spot in the rotation when Nene returns to action.

Prediction and Tip-Off

The Rockets are riding high, after following an impressive win over the Warriors with a dominant win against the young Nuggets. I expect them to continue their strong play and finish Monday's game with a win over the Celtics, who struggled to put down the 76ers on Saturday.

Tip-off will be at 7:00 P.M. Central Time at Toyota Center in Houston on Monday, December 5th. The game will be televised on NBA TV, with the radio broadcast on Sports Talk 790-AM.

Rockets 106, Mavericks 98 - Victory in Big D

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After Wednesday’s disappointing loss to the Los Angeles Lakers the Houston Rockets picked up their first win of the season, beating the Dallas Mavericks in the gym Mark Cuban built 106 to 98. Due to illness, the Mavs were without the legendary Dirk Nowitzki and his ageless shooting talent. Despite an ugly start, the Rockets caught a rhythm and took care of business in the second half.

James Harden could not repeat the excellent start he had Wednesday in Los Angeles, missing his first five shot attempts and struggling to set the up-tempo pace the Rockets want to play this season. Credit the Dallas defense for making everything difficult for Harden, closing any space the ‘Beard’ might have found himself on the floor. Even his 10 first half points were difficult to come by; every jumper was contested and he closed the half with a converted and-one that just beat the shot clock (he missed the technical free throw that came after Wes Matthews was whistled for complaining to the ref).

The Rockets managed to hold a lead for the majority of the first half thanks in large part to the play of Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon. As the Rockets struggled early, Ariza provided an early spark with 11 points in the first quarter on 60% shooting. Eric Gordon added 12 points and 4 assists in the first half, fitting in as Houston’s secondary playmaker and shot creator.

The second half saw much better movement on and off the ball, as well as Harden finally finding a rhythm. Things came easier for Harden, both as a scorer and as a playmaker, and his building chemistry with KJ McDaniels was a thing of beauty. Shaking off his early slump, Harden finished with 26 points on 50% shooting and added 8 assists and 7 rebounds.

Harden had a lot of help in this game, which is not something that was said often last season. Ariza continued his hot start, closing the game out with a game-high 27 points on 67% shooting (hitting 5 of 7 from beyond the arc). Gordon’s playmaking continued to be a factor, in complement to Harden’s game, with 18 points and 6 assists.

Head Coach Mike D’Antoni should be credited for rotation changes he made. KJ McDaniels saw a significant uptick in minutes that proved to be very beneficial in the second half. Also, Nene saw slightly less time on the floor after a disastrous night Wednesday – allowing for the season debut of Montrezl Harrell, who figures to earn more playing time as the year progresses.

The Rockets play against these Dallas Mavericks again on Sunday, as Houston welcomes its team for this season’s home opener.

Game Ball

This is a segment of the game recaps that will give the proverbial game ball to a player that proved to be most valuable to the Rockets on a given night. This award won’t necessarily go to the player that puts up the best numbers, but to the player that made the greatest impact on the team – tangible or intangible.

The second game ball of the season goes to Trevor Ariza.

Despite James Harden going on triple-double alert, Ariza’s play is what won the Rockets this game. He kept the team afloat when Harden struggled to get it going early, and was active on both ends of the floor.

What’s perhaps most encouraging about Ariza’s play is that he seemed to be more engaged than he had been in quite some time, potentially including the entirety of last season. The type of energy he displayed today is infectious and lifted the Rockets in a moment of fragility – a moment that could’ve led to disaster.

Trevor Ariza is an important cog in this Rockets machine, and, as Rockets commentators Matt Bullard and Bill Worrell pointed out…

‘The Rockets go as [Ariza] goes.”