Re: NBA 2K15 Official MyLEAGUE Thread
Houston Rockets 2014-15
The picture of Damian Lillard's wide open three-pointer going through the net has run its course. It's played over and over again within the minds of these Houston Rockets, but with a new season starting up, the Rockets have done their learning from it, and now it's time to move on.
"It was a huge mistake on our part," Kevin McHale, head coach of the Houston Rockets, said at the beginning of training camp this season, "We had a brain dead moment, and we've dealt with it. A new season is here, though, so we'll see exactly how much it has motivated these guys."
The shot by Lillard was just the final nail in the coffin that the Rockets had been building for quite some time. That coffin goes by the name of poor defense. The Rockets ranked in the bottom third of the league in points per game allowed last season with 103 PPG. That can be a fairly scary statistic come playoff time. It's a part of the game that the Rockets will desperately need to clean up.
Nobody knows that more than star SG James Harden. "I've put a lot of pressure on myself this offseason," Harden said during preseason, "The problem begins with me. I recognize that I didn't play well defensively, and I've done everything I can to change that this offseason."
James Harden was commonly the butt of defensive jokes last season. Opposing SGs scored plenty of points against him, but things have started to change this preseason. "James looks great on defense," said Dwight Howard, "He's focused and determined to change that perception of him, and I think he's well on his way."
If the Houston Rockets want any chance of competing for a title this season, they have to hope that Dwight's words hold true. If not, it most certainly is on you Mr. Harden.
NEW, FAMILIAR FACES IN TOWN
The Rockets lost an important piece this offseason. Budding star Chandler Parsons packed things up and moved on to Dallas. And while the Rockets thought they had Chris Bosh in the bag, it unfortunately fell through. That left a fairly significant hole in their lineup.
But it did not take long for GM Daryl Morey to fill it, as he signed a familiar small forward to replace Parsons, former Rocket Trevor Ariza. "We were extremely lucky he was still available," Morey said, "When you lose a player like Parsons, you have to be able to limit the damage, and Ariza certainly accomplishes that feat."
Along with Ariza, some more familiar faces joined up with the Rockets this offseason. Ish Smith, Joey Dorsey, and Jeff Adrien all rejoin the Rockets team to try to help build a contending roster. We'll see those roster moves in action for the first regular season game on October 28 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here is the Depth Chart heading into the first game:
The picture of Damian Lillard's wide open three-pointer going through the net has run its course. It's played over and over again within the minds of these Houston Rockets, but with a new season starting up, the Rockets have done their learning from it, and now it's time to move on.
"It was a huge mistake on our part," Kevin McHale, head coach of the Houston Rockets, said at the beginning of training camp this season, "We had a brain dead moment, and we've dealt with it. A new season is here, though, so we'll see exactly how much it has motivated these guys."
The shot by Lillard was just the final nail in the coffin that the Rockets had been building for quite some time. That coffin goes by the name of poor defense. The Rockets ranked in the bottom third of the league in points per game allowed last season with 103 PPG. That can be a fairly scary statistic come playoff time. It's a part of the game that the Rockets will desperately need to clean up.
Nobody knows that more than star SG James Harden. "I've put a lot of pressure on myself this offseason," Harden said during preseason, "The problem begins with me. I recognize that I didn't play well defensively, and I've done everything I can to change that this offseason."
James Harden was commonly the butt of defensive jokes last season. Opposing SGs scored plenty of points against him, but things have started to change this preseason. "James looks great on defense," said Dwight Howard, "He's focused and determined to change that perception of him, and I think he's well on his way."
If the Houston Rockets want any chance of competing for a title this season, they have to hope that Dwight's words hold true. If not, it most certainly is on you Mr. Harden.
NEW, FAMILIAR FACES IN TOWN
The Rockets lost an important piece this offseason. Budding star Chandler Parsons packed things up and moved on to Dallas. And while the Rockets thought they had Chris Bosh in the bag, it unfortunately fell through. That left a fairly significant hole in their lineup.
But it did not take long for GM Daryl Morey to fill it, as he signed a familiar small forward to replace Parsons, former Rocket Trevor Ariza. "We were extremely lucky he was still available," Morey said, "When you lose a player like Parsons, you have to be able to limit the damage, and Ariza certainly accomplishes that feat."
Along with Ariza, some more familiar faces joined up with the Rockets this offseason. Ish Smith, Joey Dorsey, and Jeff Adrien all rejoin the Rockets team to try to help build a contending roster. We'll see those roster moves in action for the first regular season game on October 28 against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here is the Depth Chart heading into the first game:
<table width="575" class="osdyn" cellspacing="1" cellpadding="3"><tbody><tr class="masthead_alt"><td bgcolor="#ea1909" colspan="5">Houston Rockets Depth Chart - 2014-15</td></tr><tr class="stathead"><td width="8%"></td><td width="23%">STARTER</td><td width="23%">2ND</td><td width="23%">3RD</td><td width="23%">4TH</td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>PG</td><td>Patrick Beverley</td><td>Ish Smith</td><td>Troy Daniels</td><td>Isaiah Canaan</td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>SG</td><td>James Harden</td><td>Jason Terry</td><td>Nick Johnson</td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>SF</td><td>Trevor Ariza</td><td>Francisco Garcia</td><td>Kostas Papanikolaou</td><td></td></tr><tr class="evenrow"><td>PF</td><td>Terrence Jones</td><td>Joey Dorsey</td><td>Jeff Adrien</td><td></td></tr><tr class="oddrow"><td>C</td><td>Dwight Howard</td><td>Donatas Motiejunas</td><td></td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>
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