Grading the Houston Rockets' Final 15-Man Roster

The Houston Rockets made headlines throughout an important summer, but now that the 2013-14 NBA season has arrived, we can sit back, relax and break down the players who made the final cut.

In an attempt to round out the roster, Marcus Camby was waived by the team entering the year. The other noteworthy move, as reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, is that the starting point guard spot will feature Patrick Beverly, not Jeremy Lin.

For this piece, we’ll grade players (and units) based on a few different criterion. Overall skill sets will be taken into account, but so will certain intangibles. Making teammates better, hustling for loose balls and overall coachability can’t be ignored, and if you’re a fan in Clutch City, you’ll take note of those things early in 2013.

The Rockets have a real shot at winning big out West, and that’s not an overstatement. They have to prove it against the best that the conference has to offer, but with the moves made during the offseason, H-Town looks like a contender right out of the gate.

*Rotations are established using the team’s depth chart via ESPN.com.

Point Guard: Patrick Beverly

In the 11th hour entering the 2013-14 season, it was made clear that Patrick Beverly would indeed be the starting point guard for the Houston Rockets.

The decision to start Beverly is sure to be met with controversy, as both sides of the argument will make their voices heard; but the fact is, Beverly helps round out the starting five better than Jeremy Lin with his skill set.

The young guard may not be an elite defender at this point in his career, but according to 82games.com, the Rockets surrendered nearly five more points per 100 possessions (per 48 minutes) when he was off the court.

When it came to Lin, the team actually improved defensively when he was on the bench.

The other area of improvement that Houston should see is in three-point shooting. Beverly won't be a primary source of offense in this star-studded lineup, but he'll help spread the floor with his 37.5-percent shooting from behind the arc.

At 25 years old, Beverly has a promising career ahead of him. If he can remain humble alongside the stars, he'll be an excellent fit both this season and deep into the future.

Grade: B

Shooting Guard: James Harden

ESPN recently ranked James Harden as the fourth-best player in the NBA, also naming him the No. 1 shooting guard in the process. That ranking has caused debates across The Association—as all rankings do—but it’s easy to see why the 24-year-old is considered one of the best at this juncture.

In his first season as a consistent starter, Harden boosted his numbers to 25.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds per contest. His PER was 23.00, which placed him behind only Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant among all 2-guards.

If we learned one thing about Harden throughout 2012-13, it’s that he’s completely fearless. He has no problem lowering his head and attacking the rim, and the fact that he shoots 85.1 percent from the line simply justifies his willingness to draw contact.

What makes Harden a true superstar is the fact that he gets it done both early and late in games. As noted by 82games.com, Harden was fifth in clutch scoring during his first season with the Houston Rockets.

While I’m reluctant to give any player an A+, it’s tough not to do just that for Harden. The top grade in the class doesn’t have to mean perfection—it just means better than the rest.

In this case, that’s exactly what Harden is, and until proven otherwise, he’ll gladly accept top honors as the best shooting guard in the NBA.

Grade: A+

Small Forward: Chandler Parsons

Very few players around The Association epitomize the phrase “budding young star” the way Chandler Parsons does entering his third season.

As a sophomore, the small forward saw his numbers improve across the board. He recorded 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, while also shooting 38.5 percent from behind the arc.

Numbers aside, the 25-year-old plays with a composure that makes you believe he’s a veteran. In 2012-13, his PER (per 48 minutes) was 16.2 at the small forward position, according to 82games.com. More impressive though, is that he held his opponents to just 13.9 in that same category.

Nobody is going to claim that the Rockets were a defensive-oriented team last season, but the truth is that they had a solid presence in Parsons who contributed both offensively and defensively.

Entering 2013-14, the youngster’s role is about to change. With Dwight Howard now on board, he’ll have to transition from a No. 2 option to a clear-cut No. 3.

That’s not always an easy change to make, but if he keeps the mentality that the team comes first, he’ll continue to blossom into a strong player on both sides of the floor.

Grade: B+

Power Forward: Dwight Howard

Dwight Howard and Omer Asik will likely be interchangeable at the 4 and 5 spots this season, but according to ESPN.com, Howard will be the one starting the year at power forward.

When it comes to Howard, it’s easy to fall into the trap of hating him. The Dwightmare lasted far longer than anyone hoped it would, and the tribulations of the Los Angeles Lakers fueled the fire for those on the prowl.

As much as fans across the league want to attack No. 12, he still has a legitimate argument as the game’s best big. He proved in L.A. that things don’t always come easily, but he also showed that he can influence a game on both sides of the floor, even when he's less than 100 percent. 

If Howard can stay injury-free and have an impact right away, his grade will boost to an A+. We can’t simply forget about his struggles with Los Angeles, but his averages of 17.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks were still dominant.

Howard has a lot to prove when it comes to winning, but individually, Houston couldn't have found a better pickup over the summer.

Grade: A

Center: Omer Asik

Anytime Omer Asik is your last level of defense, you're in good shape.

The Houston Rockets may not be a defensive-oriented team, but having Asik in the paint is going to take some of the pressure off of the perimeter players to lock down defensively. The seven-footer averaged 1.1 blocks in 30 minutes a season ago, but his ability to alter shots is something that no stat sheet can show.

Where the center made his real impact in 2012-13 was rebounding. He pulled down 11.7 boards per contest, which was good enough for third in the entire NBA.

In terms of fitting his role, Asik will likely earn a higher grade by the end of the year. Crashing the boards and impacting shots at the rim will be his specialty, and for that, he'll be one of the most valued players on the team.

That said, we still have to see how he co-exists with Dwight Howard, and whether or not he's willing to accept his new role as the second-best big on the roster.

Grade: B

Sixth Man: Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin is neither a bad point guard nor a great point guard. He’s a good player who's been unfairly cast as someone fans must love or hate without much space in between.

At just 25 years old, Lin has gone through different phases of his career. He’s been a benchwarmer, a superstar and a starter, all in just a few years.

Now he's a sixth man, and the hope is that his new role will be just what he needs to thrive.

However you feel about Lin at this stage in his playing days, he deserves credit for what he's done. Although he's yet to live up to his showing as Linsanity, he finished 2013 with averages of 13.4 points, 6.1 assists and three rebounds per contest.

He even played in all 82 games, recording a PER of 14.94 along the way.

Lin won't be a superstar again anytime soon, but if he can make smart decisions and knock down his jumper, he’ll be in good shape. The pick-and-roll is going to be important for this team, and so long as he avoids turnovers, he'll prove that this is the right role for him moving forward.

Grade: B-

Bench

Point guard may not be the most star-studded spot on this team, but depth is what makes it such a valuable position.

Consistency has been an issue for Jeremy Lin in the past, but the hope is that he can limit his struggles with fewer minutes. Behind Lin is another talented player in Aaron Brooks, who showed he can be a lights-out shooter when he was a starter in 2009-10.

One of the most notable additions to this roster (outside of Dwight Howard) is Omri Casspi. The 25-year-old has regressed statistically every year since his rookie season, but he's shown the ability to spread the floor and hit the glass at the small forward position.

Hitting the other perimeter spot, Francisco Garcia will play backup shooting guard. He's not going to wow anybody with his five points per game, but the truth is, he doesn't have to behind James Harden.

In the frontcourt, Kevin McHale must be creative with his rotations. That said, he's dealing with a problem that few will complain about—having a whole lot of talent between Greg Smith, Donatas Motiejunas and the two starters.

Overall, it's safe to say that this team will win with its star power, but the bench has a chance to flourish. There's potential at almost every position, and while the second unit won't get much of the credit, it will certainly be ready to step up with eager young talent.

Grade: B