Stephen R. Sylvanie- USA Today Sports

This could be the season that the Houston Rockets rise out of the basement of the Western Conference and elevate to title contention status. The addition of Dwight Howard is a large part of this mentality but also the fact the Rockets kept the majority of their All-Star starters and quality role players.

Chandler Parsons is coming off the best season of his short two-year career, averaging 15.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, and 3.5 apg, while shooting 48.6 percent from the field. With the growth that Parsons has shown over the last two seasons, he will undoubtedly receive the same if not more minutes than he averaged last season from the Rockets. With a relatively stacked front court comprised of Dwight Howard, Omir Asik, Terrance Jones and Omri Cassipi, Parsons will need to continually improve upon the progress he has made to be considered a force in the front court rotation.

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This upcoming season, Parsons will need to learn to adjust to James Harden and Howard getting the ball a lot more, which means Parsons will need to learn to become effective off the ball in the starting lineup. Parsons’ rebounding will definitely take a hit with the addition of Howard to the roster as well, so improving on his assists per game is the best way of adjusting to the new Rockets’ starting lineup.  Howard also thrives on having three point shooters around the perimeter for kick outs, so Parsons’ three point shooting percentage (although it has increased from 33 percent to 39 percent) will need to improve as well.

This is a make or break season for the Rockets, and the subtle adjustments Parsons makes to his game could be the variable that helps the Rockets rise to title contention.

Jared Doyle is a Miami Heat writer for www.RantSports.com.

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