Houston Rockets: 5 Areas the Rockets Need To Build Around
After back-to-back losses to the Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Hornets, the Rockets find themselves, for all intents and purposes, eliminated from playoff contention in 2011. While the Rockets fought hard, especially in the latter stages of the season, the challenge of playing a full season starting a center who stood at just 6'6" instead of the 7'6" Yao Ming they anticipated proved to be too much to overcome.
As the Rockets move forward, there will be some very difficult decisions that have to be made so that they can return to title contention once again. On a roster that has at least 12 players that could legitimately play consistent minutes for any team in the NBA, deciding who is expendable and who is someone to build around is a tough decision.
Unlike a team like the Heat, who know that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are the three players they should build their team around, the Rockets have no stars and thus the decision becomes much more difficult.
So, who should Houston build around? Should they look to build upon a base of veterans in order to compete now or trust in young players to develop into All-Stars? Should they keep Coach Adelman or look elsewhere? Is Yao a part of the team's future?
Without further ado, here are the answers to all those questions, and the five areas the Rockets should look to build around.
Coaching
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With the season winding down and the Rockets all but eliminated from playoff contention for the second year in a row, the speculation about Rick Adelman's departure from the Rockets has begun to ramp up. Some claim that a split would be for the best, as Adelman has struggled to integrate young players into the lineup, but as time goes on, it becomes more and more evident that this team needs Adelman.
With the best winning percentage of any coach in Rockets history, Adelman has managed to consistently put together a winning team on the floor despite an almost absurd string of injuries. In his 18 full seasons as a coach, Adelman has only had a losing record twice (two years with a poor Golden State team), a testament to his abilities.
While Daryl Morey gets all the credit for making smart draft picks, Adelman's role in developing these young players has undoubtedly gone unheralded. Chase Budinger, Carl Landry and Aaron Brooks were three players that few thought could become more than mediocre bench players, but under Adelman's guidance, they all became very impressive scorers for the Rockets.
While there are some other questions about his drive to coach simply because of his age, there is no doubt that Adelman is as dedicated to this team as he's been to any in his tenure. He lives and dies over losses, and his passion is still evident when he's on the court.
Full disclosure: I have previously said that it is time that the Rockets and Adelman part ways. The past few weeks have convinced me otherwise.
Draft Picks
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As previously mentioned, the Rockets took on a more forward-minded trading strategy over the last season, preferring future assets in the form of young players and draft picks to older veterans like Shane Battier. For this reason, the Rockets now find themselves with a cache of draft picks at their disposal, including two first-rounders in each of the next two drafts.
Although this draft is generally viewed as weak, the Rockets could potentially land two very good players with their two picks, likely to be No. 14 and No. 23. Morey has had an incredibly strong draft record, and these next two years should be no exception.
Over the last few years, the Rockets have managed to use the draft to turn an aging roster into a young and exciting one. If that trend continues, the Rockets could be as inundated with young talent as almost anyone in the league.
Point Guard Play
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In a season full of disappointment, perhaps the best unexpected improvement has come from the play of Kyle Lowry. After getting a big free-agent contract last summer, Lowry returned to training camp with a vengeance, and eventually played his way into the starting lineup after an Aaron Brooks injury.
With his newfound jump shot bolstering an all-around improved game, Lowry has elevated his game into a realm nobody imagined was possible before the year. While Aaron Brooks appeared to be the point guard of the future, Lowry is now establishing himself as one of the team's best players and a likely top-10 point guard in the NBA.
Additionally, by securing Goran Dragic at the deadline, the Rockets turned an unhappy Aaron Brooks into one of the better point guards off the bench in the league. Dragic, a 6'3" guard out of Slovenia, backed up Steve Nash for three years but appeared to have lost confidence in his shot for the Suns. Now, with a fresh slate on the Rockets, Dragic has shot significantly better and his defense has helped a second unit that suffered from Aaron Brooks' horrible defensive effort.
With two players entering their peak years and playing very well, the Rockets have finally filled a void they struggled for years to fill and can count on solid play from the point moving forward. Lowry and Dragic both have contracts for next year, and appear to be one of the team's biggest strengths.
Young Projects
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Over the last season, as the Rockets have appeared to take on a little bit more of a rebuilding strategy, giving up major assets in a future first round pick and Shane Battier to get Terrence Williams and Hasheem Thabeet, the prospects for the future have gotten better. While both have yet to see major action for the Rockets, each has a bright future.
Terrence Williams, acquired from the Nets, has angered Rick Adelman with his somewhat selfish play and lackluster work ethic, but nonetheless has an upside higher than that of any other wing on the team because of his impressive athleticism, passing ability and defensive skills. If he can harness all his natural gifts, he could become a very solid two-way wing, something the Rockets could really use at this point.
Hasheem Thabeet is similar to Williams in that he has impressive tools but is by no means a finished product. Standing 7'3" and with very good leaping ability, Thabeet is the best shot-blocking prospect to enter the league since Dikembe Mutombo.
While he blocks a huge number of shots, it is the rest of his game that needs work if he can become a legitimate NBA center.
His footwork in the post is horrible, his frame is too light to keep tough post players from backing him down, and his turnovers are a major liability when he is on the court. While his shortcomings are obvious, with time on the court he can correct some of those flaws as he is showing in the NBA D-League right now.
The Rockets made two calculated risks when they acquired Thabeet and Williams. With time, those two can make the front office look very smart.
Yao Ming
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After injuring himself once again in the 2010-11 season, most Rockets fans are ready to close the book on the Yao Ming era. Too much false hope, disappointing finishes and heartbreaking injuries have alienated the fanbase to the man who had once been considered the best center in the NBA.
While Yao clearly cannot be counted on for more than half of a game, the Rockets seemingly have no choice but to build around him, the man the team once counted on to become the next franchise cornerstone.
While there are numerous centers on the market this summer such as Marc Gasol, Nene and DeAndre Jordan, bringing back Yao Ming would allow the Rockets to sign a versatile wing like Wilson Chandler or Thaddeus Young who can defend and score to help support a team that has struggled to slow down powerful small forwards.
Additionally, Yao has the most upside of any free agent in the class. If he stays healthy, he could give the Rockets a very good late-minute option for a very low price.
There is always the omnipresent risk that he injures himself again, but they have painted themselves into a corner which almost requires them to bring back Yao. If Hasheem Thabeet can progress next year, Yao, Thabeet and Chuck Hayes could provide a powerful troika at the center position.
