Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

Houston Rockets: Where the franchise stands entering the 2018 NBA offseason

By Brandon Osborne

DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - JANUARY 24: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets reacts after scoring against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Breaking down where the Houston Rockets stand heading into the 2018 NBA offseason, where they could be the favorites to land LeBron James

The Houston Rockets entered the 2017-18 season as the biggest threat to the Golden State Warriors and their dominant run. The Rockets not only proved to be a serious threat to the Warriors but they came within one game of eliminating them.

The Rockets had a 3-2 series lead over Golden State but an injury to Chris Paul proved to be too much for the team to overcome against the NBA’s best team.

Even if the Rockets were not able to beat the Warriors in the playoffs, they did beat them in the regular season twice out of three matchups and finished with the NBA’s best record, 65-17. Houston had the league’s second best offensive rating at 112.2 and the league’s sixth best defensive rating at 103.8.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

James Harden had another career year and is expected to win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. Even if the Rockets fell short of their ultimate goal of beating the Warriors and winning the NBA championship, this season was still a massive success and something that Houston can build off of.

Numbers:

  • Record: 65-17
  • Off Rtg: 112.2
  • Def Rtg: 103.8
  • Pace: 99.73
  • EFG%: .551
  • Net Rtg: 8.5

Starting 5:

  • Chris Paul: 18.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 7.9 APG
  • James Harden: 30.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 8.8 APG
  • Trevor Ariza: 11.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 1.6 APG
  • PJ Tucker: 6.1 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 0.9 APG
  • Clint Capela: 13.9 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 0.9 APG

Lineup record: 15-2

Draft picks and free agency outlook:

The Rockets enter free agency with two major questions, will they re-sign Paul and Capela or do they re-sign Paul and attempt to sign LeBron James. To land James, it will take the Rockets getting rid of several key players and getting Paul or James to sign for less than the max which both have stated they want.

As for the draft, Houston only has one pick, and it is the 46th pick. The Rockets would like to find a quality player at that position as they could need minutes from a rookie if they have to gut their roster to sign Paul and/or James.

Burning question: How do the Rockets improve their roster to beat Golden State?

The Rockets were one win away, and if Paul doesn’t get hurt then maybe they pull the upset. Houston will likely go after LeBron but if he doesn’t sign with them then how will they improve their roster.

Must Read: NBA Free Agency: Ranking the top 35 free agents of the 2018 offseason

Outlook:

The Houston Rockets were the NBA’s best team in the regular season and they proved to be the second best team once the playoffs came. Had they stayed healthy then maybe they win the championship but they proved they are a legit threat to the Warriors and next season could be interesting depending on this offseason.

Home/Houston Rockets