Grading The Houston Rockets' 2015 NBA Free Agency

Houston Rockets
Kyle Terada- USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets were an injured team for all of the 2014-15 season. Dwight Howard only played in half of the Rockets’ regular season games, Patrick Beverley played only 56 games and he missed games in the playoffs as well. With other starters and bench players also missing games, the pressure was on James Harden to lift the team to the playoffs.

Harden did carry the team on his back during the regular season, but during the playoffs he wasn’t the same Harden in terms of consistency. He wasn’t able to get to the free throw line as much because the game is more physical in the playoffs. He committed too many turnovers in their final postseason game against the Golden State Warriors. He was even benched for an entire fourth quarter during the Clippers-Rockets series.

After the season ended for the Rockets, Harden spoke with Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey and suggested that Morey add another playmaker to the team. Although Harden is confident in his teammates and believes in continuity, he wants another guy on the team who can make plays and take the pressure out of his hands.

Before free agency could begin, the Rockets drafted Sam Dekker. Dekker is an athletic forward who can also play shooting guard if necessary. But Dekker will need to work on making his three-point shot consistent if he wants to earn playing time on a three-point shooting team like the Rockets.

The Rockets will begin opening night with mainly the same team intact. The team re-signed Corey Brewer to a three-year, $24 million deal. Brewer provides the Rockets with an athletic wing player who excelled in the open court and is an above-average defender.

The Rockets also brought back Beverley. Beverley is coming back on a four-year, $25 million deal. Beverley wasn’t able to play in the playoffs, and with great point guards on nearly every team, the Rockets weren’t the same. Beverley’s defensive talents are what enable the Rockets to be confident about their chances to go deep in the playoffs.

But there are rumors that Josh Smith is going to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Even though Smith still is inconsistent when it comes to his shooting, he is an underrated defender. He is close with Howard, and he can make plays for his teammates. Unless the Rockets can manage to sign another player who can make plays as well as or better than Smith, this loss will be greatly affect the Rockets next season.

Although the Rockets will be a better team next year because they will be healthier, the rest of the Western Conference hasn’t sat still. The Oklahoma City Thunder re-signed Enes Kanter and Kevin Durant will be healthy at the start of the season. The Warriors re-signed Draymond Green and they are the defending champions. The Clippers re-signed DeAndre Jordan and finally added a scoring small forward in Paul Pierce.

But the team that the Rockets should fear the most is the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs not only added LaMarcus Aldridge, but they also re-signed Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green all while getting David West for a cheap deal. The Spurs are also in the same division as the Rockets.

If the Rockets don’t make a trade by next season’s trade deadline, the team could end up being on the road for the majority of the playoffs. And that would mean that the city of Houston would once again be disappointed as their team’s season ends before June.

Houston Rockets 2015 Free Agency Grade: C+

Frank Ewere is a Beat Writer for the New Orleans Pelicans on www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheFrankEwere, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

Share On FacebookShare StumbleUpon