Reasons why the Rockets will be an improved team this season despite common belief

I keep hearing talk on general NBA forums about how the Rockets took a step back, and the people saying this sound very sure of themselves. Personally, I think these general fans are overlooking a lot of information or are simply not aware. The reasons the Rockets will improve trump the reasons they took a step back in my opinion, and I won't even bother to include the likely possibility the Rockets aren't done making moves.

- Asik struggled with knee problems, he wasn't really making a huge impact until the final 20-30 games of the season. If Joey Dorsey, one of the Rockets new signings who was widely regarded in Europe as the best defensive center, can be more healthy than Asik was last season (high probability) then he will likely contribute to more wins. Just like Asik, Dorsey is a limited offensive player with two specific strengths--defense and rebounding.

- Jeremy Lin had a very disappointing season, his impact was average--this impact will not be hard to replace. Isaiah Canaan and Troy Daniels are two elite snipers with an itchy trigger finger, and they're both eager to prove Lin's departure is a blessing in disguise for Rockets fans.

- Kostas Papanikolaou is looking like a veteran in summer league, with sneaky fakes and Scola-esque scoop shots under the arms of shot blockers, which is no surprise because he spent a few years developing in Europe. Just think of him as a solid bench player who gives the Rockets depth and SF and PF, but he has the potential to be more than just solid. Whatever the case, he's definitely ready to help the Rockets win games.

- Dwight and Harden. I expect Harden and Dwight to have a much better season now that Dwight is 100% and the chemistry has improved. Dwight is now 280lbs but his vertical this off-season recorded as high as it was when he was 240lbs in Orlando. Even Hakeem who has been training with Dwight for a year recently said that he's impressed with how much better Dwight is moving, Dwight is doing things he couldn't do 6 months ago. Dwight even added a dribble-spin move to his game.

- Harden is a better defender at SF as proven during his OKC days where 52% of his minutes were at SF. Ariza doesn't only improve the Rockets defense with his own defense, but he improves Harden's defense too by switching defensive assignments with Harden when it's ideal.

- Perhaps the biggest reason of all: this was the youngest team in the playoffs last season, and I'm confident those young players will also show improvement. I'm not just talking about young guys on the bench like Donatas Motiejunas but also two of the Rockets starters--Terrence Jones and Patrick Beverley. Now going into their 3rd year, all three guys are prime candidates for serious improvement. Just these three guys alone combine for roughly 80 minutes per game, which needless to say is a pretty big chunk of minutes, so you can understand why I say the Rockets youth is arguably the biggest reason the Rockets will likely improve from last season.