The Houston Rockets barely missed the 2012 NBA Playoffs, but then gutted their roster when it came to the off-season; however, how does their 2012-2013 season preview look?
Drafted Players: Terrence Jones, Royce White, Jeremy Lamb
Key Additions: Jeremy Lin, Omer Asik, Toney Douglas, Carlos Delfino
Key Subtractions: Kyle Lowry, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Marcus Camby, Courtney Lee, Chase Budinger
Key Players:
Jeremy Lin is vital to restore some sort of consistency with this team, but also his image as well. He has an entire basketball community watching him this season in Houston to see if he is the real deal or was just a Cinderella story of 2011-2012.
Omer Asik should play with a chip on his shoulder as a way to prove to the legions Morey didn’t overpay for his services. Although, his playtime in the NBA — prior to the Houston gig — has been minimal, he is an above average defender in the paint. With that being said, he needs to prove himself as a starter this season. You can assume more minutes will garner more production from Asik, but some players don’t translate well as starters; thus, this season will be more of a tell-all for Asik.
Kevin Martin may not be a key player in the way you think, but Houston needs to come to terms with what they are going to do with his expiring contract. His name was mention in trades last season, and if murmurs are any indication, then expect him to be dealt before the trade deadline this season.
Expectations: They lost out on Dwight Howard, and perhaps — to some — overpaid for Asik and Lin, but they do have quality talent especially in their rookies. The test comes with Lin running the offense and can he handle the workload of a very young team.
Prediction: 35-47; they will fall between 10th-12th seed and obviously will miss the playoffs.
