Since the beginning of training camp there seems to be some new found excitement for this upcoming season with a little bit of apathy as well. I can understand some of the indifference towards the Rockets right now. With the type of off season we had and how it started (sorry!). From losing three rotational players who also started for us the previous year to coming so close to nabbing a real 3rd star but ultimately falling short and everything in between... It's been a rough couple of months. But as the season nears, I can't help but feel pumped and confident about our chances for something big this season. And here are some reasons why: 1) New Mentality - There seems to be a new direction and mentality heading to the season; namely, defense and more grit. I thought last year's team felt they were too confident in themselves; they were too cool to do the little things. Howard said so himself that certain things and bad habits were "swept under the rug" since we won a lot last season. Many of those things had to be defense and hustle plays so I'm excited to see this year's team being more aware of these types of things. 2) Shooting - This year's team should be a much better shooting team than last season. The Rockets were very average last season from deep. We were able to get away with that due to the number of attempts we took but there were some games where all those missed threes ruined our rhythm on offense. No offense, but if Lin is your most consistent 3-point shooter on the bench, you have a problem. We shouldn't have that problem this year. Ariza, Papa, Canaan, Terry and Daniels already bolster our three point attack significantly. If you have two players that garner so much attention in Howard and Harden, you need great three point shooting. And those guys seem to fit the bill. 3) Growth From Our Youth - It's time for Jones and DMo to solidify themselves as viable options at the 4, and I think they will. DMo looked pretty impressive in summer league and I look to him to be the first big off the bench and I think Jones will improve from his impressive 2nd year. We will see how the other young guys step up. Canaan and Daniels are both going to have to prove their worth. 4) Howard and Harden - Year Two of these two playing with each other will see big improvement. We can hit the ground running this season rather than seeing how the offense will play out as we did early last year. Individually, these two seem prime for their best seasons. Howard was flat out dominate in that Portland series and he looks to be healthier and hungrier than ever before. If Hakeem thinks he will have a MVP type season, I think so too. Harden has become the punch line of so many jokes this off season and I think it was good for him to get some hate. It got annoying fast but it looks like he took somethings to heart and matured up. His performances in FIBA was very encouraging and I think he will have his best season ever and cement himself in the MVP conversation for years to come. 5) Morey - If there's one thing about Morey, it is that he doesn't stop working on improving the team. He doesn't settle on a team unless he is sure it has a great chance for the title. This is a huge advantage we have over a lot of teams since we also have the pieces to make a season changing move. This season we are the underdogs, especially to the media, but this can work in our favor. I'm not saying we will be world beaters but I definitely believe we will be a much better and more balanced team than last year and make a long run in the playoffs. Sorry for this long post but I just can't wait for this season to start! I expect great things from this team!
I'm excited for the NBA season as a whole. Also looking forward to watching the Rockets deliver an ass whooping to the Lakers (my most hated team) on opening night. It will feel much sweeter since Kobe will be playing, and it is in LA.
I do not have the energy to be excited every offseason and preseason That said, we still wait for young players to take a major step (Jones, Dmo, Nick Johnson, Canaan, Daniels.....)
I think I'm going to enjoy this team more than last season's team. I value Ariza's maturity. I would value Terry's, but I feel like he's going to be injured 2/3 of the time. I like our bench more than most people around here.
No apology needed. Excellent summation of my feelings exactly. I am a big booster of Jason Terry being a shot of adrenaline in many ways also. And Papa.. and the kids of course. lol. Go Rockets !
Excited? no. We have the same freakin team as last year expect we don't have Parsons, Lin, or Asik and instead have Ariza. Ok...excited? No. WTF?
That sure is a pessimistic outlook on things. Yikes. Lin? Who cares? He was mediocre last year coming off of the bench. Asik? Very good defender but he missed half of the season last year and constantly pouted about coming off of the bench. Parsons? Meh. Terrible contract. The guy is a solid starter. Nothing more. Ariza is a solid starter as well and brings defense along with veteran leadership which are both desperately needed. You also have Howard two years removed from back surgery and in great shape. You have Harden coming into his third year as the lead dog at age 25 after leading Team USA to a World Cup victory over the summer. Terrence Jones is coming off of a 19 PER year and hopefully TR Dunn can help him and others progress on defense. Furthermore, our bench was pitiful last year and I'm not sure it can get any worse. Casspi and Lin were two of the key cogs. Yuck. At least this bench unit has potential with Papa, Daniels, Nick Johnson, Adrien, Terry, and Canaan. This team also has the assets to make some deals before the trade deadline if needed.
We essentially gave up Asik and Lin for bunch of interesting young characters. It is time to strengthen our bench with younger players with more potential.
