Grading Each Position Going into Houston Rockets 2014 Training Camp
Heading into training camp, the Houston Rockets depth chart is not as star-studded as we all hoped it would be. With no Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh, Houston had to fill out its roster with young, unproven talent. But that's old news, so let's shift gears and start to focus on the present.
Barring any surprises, the Rockets' previous starting five should be the same throughout the upcoming season, except for replacing Trevor Ariza for Chandler Parsons. It's the bench, however, that will look fairly different from the second unit of last year. With Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, among others, gone, the depth chart at each position has changed.
From point guard all the way down to center, there will be new faces filling in for the Rockets this season. Granted, a couple of these guys have played for Houston in the past, but in terms of the transition from last season to this one, they are still considered new.
Let's take a look at the depth chart at each position, starting with point guard and working our way down. Each slot will be given a grade based on talent and how well the players will contribute at that position in the Rockets' style of play. There are 19 guys under contract heading into training camp, so let's get started.
Point Guard
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Depth Chart: Patrick Beverley, Isaiah Canaan, Ish Smith
Like last year, Patrick Beverley will start the season as the main point guard for the Rockets. He is coming off a career season that included the honor of making the NBA All-Defensive second team. Beverley's heart and hustle won him the starting job in the playoffs two seasons ago. He has become an emotional leader for this team and will be relied upon in an even bigger role now that Lin is gone.
Beverley averaged 10.2 points and 3.5 boards per game last year. His defense was phenomenal, but he has plenty of room for improvement looking ahead to this year. He shot just 41.4 percent from the floor, including 36.1 percent from three. Both of those need to increase this season to maximize his efficiency on the floor with the starters.
Another flaw was his 2.7 assists per game. That's not a high number for a starting point guard on a top-five scoring team in the league. Especially with Lin gone, Beverley will need to become a better facilitator for the offense in order to carry his weight on both ends of the floor. He also needs to minimize his mistakes, particularly unnecessary fouls.
Behind Beverley, Isaiah Canaan will step in to the role of backup point guard. He will be replacing Lin, which is difficult but not impossible. Lin specialized in pushing the tempo and creating an offensive spark, which Canaan has proved he can do.
In the Las Vegas Summer League, Canaan averaged more than 16 points per game. He is a better shooter than Lin, especially from deep, and he is just as good at attacking the basket and finishing over bigger defenders. He will need to improve his passing game and general facilitation to match the level of efficiency of Lin. The best thing Canaan can do to replace Lin is minimize his turnovers, hold his own on defense and make the smart play without forcing anything.
Lastly, Ish Smith rounds out the depth chart at point guard in his return to Houston with the Rockets. Last season with the Phoenix Suns, Smith averaged 3.7 points and 2.6 assists in 14.4 minutes per game. He probably won't play much, but I think he will be one of the last ones to make the team and will contribute when he can.
Overall Grade: C+
Shooting Guard
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Depth Chart: James Harden, Troy Daniels, Jason Terry, Nick Johnson
When you have arguably the best shooting guard in the league, you're getting a solid grade on this list. The Rockets have James Harden, who may be the best 2-guard in the NBA.
The Beard is coming off an All-NBA first-team campaign. Harden scored 25.4 points per contest, good for fifth best in the league. His consistent shooting and unmatched driving ability make him a scoring machine that is difficult for anyone to defend.
We all know that his one glaring flaw is his defensive effort, and it's been made clear that the goal this summer was for him to improve. Only time will tell if he can actually step it up defensively, but even if he only makes minor improvements, he's still the best player on this team and top tier in the Association.
Backing him up, Troy Daniels will get the next most minutes at the 2. He may also have his defensive efficiencies, but his sweet stroke from beyond the arc makes him a perfect fit in the Rockets offense. He can space the floor and put up big numbers in a short amount of time. After hardly playing at all to stepping in as the playoff hero last year, Daniels should get plenty of minutes in the rotation this upcoming season.
Next up, newly acquired guard Jason Terry will get some playing time as the seasoned vet on the squad. He hasn't been the "Rocket Killer" (he's alluding to this game by the way) from his glory days in a few years, but he insists he still has more left in the tank to make a run with Houston. His veteran leadership will probably end up being more valuable than his actual minutes on the floor, but he could still contribute in a big way down the stretch.
Finally, Nick Johnson, the Rockets' second-round draft pick this past summer, comes in at fourth on the depth chart for Houston. He will probably spend a good chunk of time in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but there's a chance he can contribute at the NBA level by the end of the season.
Johnson is a tremendous athlete who dropped in the draft because he's a bit short (6'3"), but don't let his size fool you: This guy can play. Most importantly, of all the guys mentioned on this slide, Johnson is the only one who has ever been praised for his defense.
From top to bottom, the Rockets have a great group of guys at shooting guard, and it all starts with the Beard.
Overall Grade: A-
Small Forward
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Depth Chart: Trevor Ariza, Robert Covington, Francisco Garcia
Small forward is the one spot that will look much different this season from last. With Parsons gone and Ariza filling in as the starter, the Rockets will look somewhat different schematically this year.
Parsons' best quality is his playmaking ability. Meanwhile, Ariza is a lockdown defender, which will help the Rockets improve on that end of the floor, especially on the perimeter. Ariza is also a better three-point shooter, which will help him fit in the Rockets offense even though he isn't great at creating his own shots.
While Parsons will be missed, Houston will be able to get on just fine without him. Ariza is more than sufficient as a replacement because he can still shoot and significantly boosts the defense. He may not have the same flash, but Ariza is a valuable small forward in the NBA, especially for half the price of Parsons.
The next player on the depth chart here is a toss-up. I think it will be Robert Covington over Francisco Garcia, based on their performances last year.
Covington was the D-League Rookie of the Year for the Vipers last season. At 6'9", 215 pounds, he has good size at his position and is a lights-out shooter from deep. After spending quality time developing in Rio Grande, this season Covington will be ready to step up to the NBA level and contribute in the rotation.
Garcia, on the other hand, had a disappointing 2013-14 campaign. He ultimately fell out of the lineup because he was not producing, especially from behind the arc, where he shot just 35.8 percent. A promising performance with the Dominican Republic national team earned Garcia a new contract with the Rockets this season, so we'll just have to see if he can maintain that high level of play over the course of another NBA season at 33 years old.
Depending on whether Garcia and Covington can have positive impacts, the small forward position is a bit of a question mark for Houston.
Overall Grade: C+
Power Forward
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Depth Chart: Terrence Jones, Donatas Motiejunas, Jeff Adrien, Kostas Papanikolaou, Clint Capela, Josh Powell
Power forward has been the weakest link for Houston for a handful of years since the departure of Luis Scola. This season may not be any different.
The starting job obviously belongs to Terrence Jones. He did a great job for the Rockets last season, when the role entering the season was very uncertain. His 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks were all career highs in his short life in the NBA. He had flashes of brilliance, scoring more than 30 points in a few games last season.
This year, the Rockets need Jones to improve some minor parts of his game. His athleticism makes him a useful weapon on both ends of the floor, but he has some fine-tuning left to do.
Jones must become a more mature defender against elite big men. LaMarcus Aldridge stole his lunch money repeatedly in the playoffs, completely shifting the series in Portland's favor. Now, that wasn't necessarily all his fault, but nevertheless, there is certainly room for improvement in that category. It would also be a bonus if he could improve upon his 30.7 three-point percentage. If he raises it a little, he can become him a deadly weapon as more of a stretch 4.
The next man up is Donatas Motiejunas, who we all have high hopes for after an awe-inspiring summer league in Vegas. D-Mo's consistent scoring, inside and out, has us hoping that he's finally tapping into that potential we've been discussing ever since he came from overseas. Expect to see D-Mo get quality minutes at both the 4 and 5, and hopefully, like Jones, he can get that three-point shooting up to become a dangerous offensive weapon.
After these two, a few guys are currently on the roster but questionable to make the team.
I like Jeff Adrien's chances of making the squad. He put up 6.8 points and 5.8 boards in just over 18 minutes per night with the Charlotte Bobcats and then Milwaukee Bucks last year. Adrien is great at cleaning up the boards and can have an impact defensively off the bench.
After him, Clint Capela, Kostas Papanikalaou and Josh Powell are on the outside looking in. The first two are long-term projects who will spend most, if not all, of this season in the Valley developing their game. As for Powell, I just don't see him sticking with the team once cuts need to be made.
Overall Grade: C-
Center
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Depth Chart: Dwight Howard, Joey Dorsey, Tarik Black
For center, the only man you need to really know about is Dwight Howard.
This is a big season for Howard. After his first full season in Houston, he and Harden are under pressure to get this team deep into the playoffs in their second go-around.
I think Howard has it in him.
His postseason numbers are just ridiculous. He put up 26.0 points, 13.7 boards and 2.8 blocks per game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He did everything he could to keep this team from going on early vacation but the Rockets ultimately fell just short—0.9 seconds short.
Now that he is fully healthy and has a year of chemistry with Harden and coach Kevin McHale under his belt, he is ready to move on to the next level. Howard has the perfect opportunity to return to his dominant Orlando days, and he can reasonably finish the season as first-team All-NBA and perhaps earn his fourth Defensive Player of the Year award. He will be the guy defending the rim like the best in the business and dominating down low with his new-and-improved post game.
After him, things diminish quickly. Sure, D-Mo could get some time at center as a 7-footer, but on the depth chart, the only other guys are Joey Dorsey and Tarik Black.
I was honestly surprised to see Black get a contract after his solid but not spectacular summer-league performance. He will get to work with the team in training camp before inevitably ending up in Rio Grande with the other rookies to start the season. I don't expect to see him in a Rockets jersey anytime soon, if ever.
As for Dorsey, things are a bit more intriguing. He was a Rocket back in the day before bouncing around the NBA and eventually spending a few years in Europe. Overseas, Dorsey was able to specialize his game and become a force on defense and at rebounding. It will be interesting to see if he can re-transition to the NBA with his newly honed, specialized skill set. He would be a long shot to make the team, except that the depth chart at center is fairly depleted, which gives him a solid chance.
Even though the depth is lacking without Omer Asik, as long as the Rockets have Dwight, they are still a nightmare matchup at center regardless of who they are playing.
Overall Grade: B-
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