[chron]For Rockets, title chatter now has some merit

tinman · Oct 25, 2015

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/spo...-title-chatter-now-has-some-merit-6588571.php

The goals have not changed and the way the Rockets describe them sounds the same as a year ago. They still speak of the chase of a championship as the only objective that matters. But something about the message does sound different, more credible, more real.

It is not just that they have eliminated the familiar retort that the franchise had carried since Hakeem Olajuwon's last Dream Shake.

"How about you just get out of the first round."

They finally escaped the first round and then rallied against the Los Angeles Clippers to reach the Western Conference Finals, winning more playoff series last spring than in the previous 17 seasons combined.

They did it with a rotation pounded by injuries from the season's second game to its last, putting their starting lineup together for just two games and going through the postseason with two starters out.

This was to be the start of something greater, of a team finally in need of only one addition, rather than the usual drastic retooling. When they landed that one addition, with Ty Lawson bringing James Harden that playmaking support so obviously needed when Harden hit a wall against the Warriors, the Rockets returned to their familiar themes, this time sounding far more plausible than just wishful thinking.

FIVE KEYS FOR THE ROCKETS

With the Rockets citing only one goal, to win a championship, the difference between success and failure at that level can come down to just a few factors. As much as the reigning champion Warriors don't like that Clippers coach Doc Rivers has pointed to Golden State's good fortune last season, that is indisputably a part of any champion's success, beginning with good health but including how well many things come together for a team or don't for an opponent. Heading into the 2015-16 season, several issues could be key for the Rockets.

1. Good health: It might go without saying that saying that the Rockets need to stay out of the training room as they could not last season, but they don't just need to be healthy for the postseason. After last season, it is clear they need to stay healthy along the way to develop the chemistry and consistency they did last season. There is reason to believe things will improve. The Rockets are not a team relying on players past their prime or with injuries that typically linger, but Dwight Howard's stiff back in the preseason is worth watching.

2. Backcourt balance: James Harden wanted the Rockets to bring him playmaking help and they did with the trade for Ty Lawson. They will have to show they can take advantage of the extra catch-and-shoot looks Lawson gets for Harden and still have their best player be as much of a force as he was when everything ran through him.

3. Play keep away: As much as any team needs to limit turnovers, the Rockets were 28th last season in turnovers per possession and points allowed per game off turnovers. They not only cost their offense too many possessions, they made things tough defensively. They want better ball movement to stay out of those trouble spots, but have to avoid their tendency to beat themselves.

4. Move it: The Rockets brought in Ty Lawson to help with the ballhandling, but they need better ball movement throughout the offense. They did improve when James Harden was trapped off the ball by using their power forwards, but the series with the Warriors showed how far they had to go to move the ball crisply enough to beat a great defensive team in a playoff series.

5. See it, 3 it: The Rockets take and make more 3s than any team in NBA history, but they really don't hit a high percentage, just 34.8 percent last season, ranking 14th. That works because they take so many, but as long as they are going to take so many, they would be extremely well served to have that better ball movement lead to more high percentage 3s.

Jonathan Feigen

"All of us just have a great feeling about what we can accomplish, just talking to the guys, everybody's like, "Man, we have a chance to do something special,'" Rockets center Dwight Howard said. "That's the only thing that's been on our minds. It's like man, we believe. The first step in winning a championship is to really believe."

Bar set high

Whether the Rockets really believed they were a championship team a year ago or not, there is now precedent for declaring a lofty goal and reaching for it.

Harden declared himself the NBA's best player and accepted the recrimination that came with the opinion. He then moved to that echelon, finishing second in the MVP voting, taking the first Players Choice MVP honors and again saying in tones more matter-of-fact than were possible a year ago that he is the NBA's best player.

The best player competes for championships. A goal to win a playoff series or two would not do as a goal for a player pursuing greatness or for his team.

"That's why we play the game, to win championships," Harden said. "If you don't win the championship that season, you came up short. You failed.

"That's why this league is so great. You got these top really, really good players that will sacrifice and do whatever it takes for their team to win," Harden added. "It doesn't always end up how you want it to be. You might have a great team one year that just doesn't achieve that. But it's all about bringing a team together and sacrificing and trying to win one thing, and that's to win a championship."

West even more rugged?

Yet, as loaded as the Western Conference was a year ago, it could be thicker with legitimate contenders. The past two NBA champions, the Warriors and Spurs, seem as strong as or stronger than their title teams. The Thunder and Clippers have been fortified with additions made last season and in the offseason. And the Rockets' addition of Lawson could bring what they needed most.

"Who doesn't notice it?" Harden said of the Western Conference wealth of contenders. "There's more than five. Even the Pelicans. They made it into the playoffs last year. They have a new coach (Alvin Gentry) who came from the Warriors. You have the teams in Texas. You have the Thunder who wasn't healthy last year. Memphis is always good. San Antonio. The Warriors. All these teams are good. You can go on and on."

Still a work in progress

The Rockets have compiled a roster at least two deep at every position, with the addition of Lawson allowing Pat Beverley to provide depth at point guard and the emergence of Clint Capela giving the Rockets a solid backup center. They have not, however, yet come together.

With Howard unable to play or practice since Oct. 6, he has yet to develop chemistry with Lawson so valuable as a pick-and-roll combination or to anchor the defensive schemes that were so badly exposed at times in the preseason.

Donatas Motiejunas has yet to be cleared to practice since last season's back surgery. Terrence Jones missed time in the preseason with bruised ribs and a concussion. Lawson was out with a sore back, Beverley with a groin injury.

The Rockets expect to open the season with most of their rotation physically ready to go, although Howard will be suspended for the opener because of excessive postseason flagrant fouls. But they have yet to show more than glimpses of cohesiveness.

"As long as we stay healthy, we have a legitimate shot every single year," Harden said. "It's all about health for us. The last couple years, we've been banged up. (Howard) has had some injuries, a couple other players on our team had injuries. As long as we can stay together and stay healthy, we'll be all right for the next couple years at least."

As much as injuries impact any team's long-term prospects, the Rockets' growth last season, even with their greatest success since 1997, was stunted by losing Howard for 41 games, Jones for 49 and the many other injuries throughout the season. There were signs of progress in the post-season, but sporadic struggles in the preseason.

"I believe it takes a while to get real familiar with your teammates," Jones said. "We had a lot of guys added to the team last year, a lot of guys injured, coming in and out. This summer and last year's playoff run really helped us jell that chemistry. I think we're all ready."

No time to waste

With seven games in 11 days to start the season, there will be little time to build chemistry. Falling behind in the loaded West, where the Rockets were second last season but just one game removed from sixth, can be dangerous.

ROCKETS

"It's still going to take time to get that chemistry going," veteran guard Jason Terry said. "For us, it's a process. We understand that, but do like where we are.

"Now, the real basketball starts. We're excited. We're excited about what we have as a group. Things count now, so we'll see what we have game one."

For teams planning to play in June, the work ahead goes far beyond two games in October.

As with last season, the Rockets are open about their intention to take their season beyond any since the championships more than 20 years ago. But this season, they sound certain they are qualified to be in that mix, believing that nothing else could be enough.

"We want to win a championship, to be honest," Corey Brewer said. "To go to the Western Conference (Finals) is good and all, but your goal is to win a championship. That's what we have to have our mindset on. That's what we have to go out there and do."

This time, more than ever, they really mean it.
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[chron]For Rockets, title chatter now has some merit

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[chron]For Rockets, title chatter now has some merit

tinman 999999999 Supporting Member

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tinman 999999999
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