While there are now not many people left on the free agent market and the workforce, except for upheaval via the expected trades of Damian Lillard and James Harden, is almost complete, it is time to make a first summer assessment for the 30 NBA franchises.
And after Detroit, the dunce of the last season, we continue with Houston, which has done great work this summer to finally take off.
SEASON 2022/23
22 wins – 60 losses (29th)
27th attack: 111.4 points scored on 100 possessions
28th defense: 119.3 points conceded on 100 possessions
ARRIVALS/DEPARTURES
Arrivals: Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green, Jock Landale, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore
Departures: Tyty Washington Jr, Usman Garuba, Kenyon Martin Jr
WORKFORCE 2023/24
Leaders: Fred VanVleet, Kevin Porter Jr, Aaron Holiday
Fullbacks/Wingers: Jalen Green, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Jae’Sean Tate, Cam Whitmore
Interiors: Jabari Smith Jr, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun, Jeff Green, Jock Landale
THE LIKELY MAJOR FIVE
Fred VanVleet – Jalen Green – Dillon Brooks – Jabari Smith Jr. – Alperen Sengun
THE OBJECTIVE
It’s obvious: finally becoming competitive after three seasons in limbo since the departure of James Harden.
Stephen Silas did what he could for three seasons, but overall his team didn’t make much progress, despite the talent that arrived year after year through the Draft.
The Houston franchise had the largest recruiting envelope during this offseason and the leaders had clearly announced their intention to spend to take a step forward and move on to the second stage of their reconstruction. Freewheeling seasons, to help young people progress, without worrying about the final balance sheet and therefore the number of victories, is now clearly a thing of the past.
Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jeff Green and Jock Landale have come to strengthen the workforce which will now be led by Ime Udoka, whose last experience as “head coach” (which was also his first) ended with the Finals lost against the Warriors in 2022. Clearly, Houston now has ambitions and the owner has even talked about the playoffs.
THE BIG QUESTION
Will the graft between experienced players and young talents take? For three seasons, the Rockets’ inexperience was obvious. The Houston kids weren’t defending, and on offense, talent wasn’t enough and the game was going all over the place, where everyone was shining in their corner. With the arrivals of Fred VanVleet, Jeff Green and Dillon Brooks, the Rockets will gain in quality but also in experience. This trio weighs 177 playoff matches and the first two even won the title.
Relying on them means having players who have several seasons in their legs, who have evolved in very competitive teams and who therefore know how to win and above all what it costs on a daily basis.
Will Kevin Porter Jr, Jalen Green, Jae’Sean Tate or even Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason be able to keep up? Limit errors and get to the expected level? The Athletic recently mentioned the desire of managers to recruit another experienced outsider to have a little more density and confidence.
QUESTIONS
– Will Ime Udoka have the right formula?
He has only one season on a bench to his credit, but the coach had won his bet in Boston, going all the way to the Finals. With the Celtics, the tactician had taken a few weeks to find the right balance, but he had in his hands a much more competitive and experienced training, whose hard core had been the same for several seasons. There, he arrives in a team that is certainly talented but without any collective reference, with players to integrate, a hierarchy to redefine and young people to advance. He will still need time to put all this to music.
– Can Fred VanVleet carry a team?
The Toronto alum is Houston’s main rookie. He signed for three years and $130 million and that changes his status. From a frame with the Raptors, alongside Pascal Siakam, he becomes the face of a team. The 2019 champion arrives in Texas to embody the second phase of the Rockets project and to take them to the playoffs. It’s not nothing and, he knows, we will quickly ask him to justify his huge salary.
” I know people are freaking out over the amount of my contract, but the league is changing every year and that number won’t be so impressive in a few years.” did he declare. “I can tell you that I will work hard to prove that I am worth every penny. »
– Revenge for Dillon Brooks?
The winger left the Grizzlies through the back door, between his disappointing performance in the playoffs and his attitude towards LeBron James during the first round. The Memphis franchise had made it clear to him, from the beginning of May, that he had to find a new team this summer. He has bounced back (rather well) in Houston, with a contract that could reach $90 million over four years. He arrives to defend and bring his “bad boy” touch to a very tender team in this area. If he succeeds, he will offer himself a nice revenge on his failed end in Tennessee.
“I can bring my experience, my passion, my knowledge, my love of defense and my professionalism to try to make a difference,” list the player. “I will try to be contagious. I want my energy to spread among the other players. I am a veteran and my leadership, my energy is contagious. I am here to teach others things. »
WHERE DO YOU SEE THE ROCKETS NEXT YEAR?
