Philippines, 13 Oct 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


Can this be the Rockets' season, finally?


PhilBoxing.com



The last time the Houston Rockets lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Conference Finals, they suffered a two-year hangover.

That shouldn?t happen this season. It can?t, happen. Chris Paul will soon break the 35,000-minute mark for his career. Besides, point guards with bad knees tend to not age very well.

Likewise, league MVP James Harden is playing his 10th NBA season, and while he is, undoubtedly, still in the prime of his career, how long will that last?

Point is, the Rockets? window is now. They have the right superstars, the right coach in Mike D?Antoni and most of the right supporting cast. It?s not a perfect team, especially with the Warriors lurking, but it?s close enough to have a championship-or-bust mentality until the Harden-CP3 window closes.

This year?s case Rockets reminds us of the 2014 San Antonio Spurs. After infamously letting the 2013 NBA Championship slip from their grasps, the Spurs brought back essentially the same roster in 2013-14 and played with a laser-sharp determination to avenge their Finals loss all season, which they did in a lopsided Finals rematch with the Miami Heat.

Like this year?s Rockets, many people figured that those Spurs had missed their window of opportunity and would regress after losing in such heartbreaking fashion. When the Finals loss had the inverse effect, everyone realized they should have seen the revenge season coming. A revenge season ? that?s the Rockets? case to win the championship in 2018-19.

The 2017-18 Houston Rockets were one of the better teams in the past decade. For a significant stretch of the season, they had the best offense in NBA history along with the league MVP in Harden, best pure point guard in basketball in Paul, an elite rim-runner in Clint Capela and the three-and-D wings equipped to offset the Warriors -- Trevor Ariza, Luc Mbah a Moute and PJ Tucker.

They were better than the Warriors during the regular season and better than the Warriors through five games of the Western Conference Finals. Heck, they were better than the Warriors, too, for the first halves of Games 6 and 7. They just weren?t better when it mattered the most. Have they learned from that wasted opportunity?

The Rockets didn?t quite run it back from last year, as they lost Ariza and Mbah a Moute in free agency. Replacing those two important cogs in their rotation are James Ennis III, Carmelo Anthony and a handful of castoffs from the Suns.

While Ennis looks to have a better season and Anthony has looked a little like Olympic ?Melo this preseason, the team?s switchability on defense is nowhere near what it had last season. It probably won?t matter much during the regular season because the Rockets will just outscore everyone.

But come May, they?ll need to have an answer to the question as to who is going to guard the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant in the playoffs? Can they trust Ennis to step up despite having never really gotten big minutes in a playoff game?

Or can Anthony or Gerald Green reconfigure their games a la Vince Carter late in his career to become adequate defenders? (Also, can pigs learn to fly?)

One popular theory among Houston insiders is that the Rockets have at least one more major move in them, either via buyout or trade. By unloading Ryan Anderson?s contract to Phoenix, the Rockets will be able to take on extra money in the buyout market.

A number of three-and-D wings might be available. Kent Bazemore, DeMarre Carroll and JR Smith would all fit nicely with Houston. And what about also the chance that general manager Daryl Morey finds a way to swing a trade for the disgruntled Jimmy Butler?

Regardless of whom their last piece is, the Rockets will once again need superb seasons out of Harden and Paul. With the two of them playing Hall of Fame-level point guard for 48 minutes and professional scorers like Anthony, Eric Gordon and Gerald Green able to drop 25 any night, the team will always have a high-octane offense.

How can the Rockets improve on heir ceiling depends n Capela?s development though. He was an excellent rim-protector and runner last season, averaging 14 points on the best field-goal percentage in the league, 11 rebounds and two blocks per game.

Yet, he flashed the ability to be an even more complete player. If he improved his lateral movement slightly, the Rockets would be able to keep him in late games even when teams go to their small-ball lineups. The more the Rockets can play Capela together with Harden and Paul, the better.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • “The Wonder Boy” Carl Jammes Martin Ready to Shine October 29 at the 50th Anniversary of the Thrilla in Manila (Analysis)
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 13 Oct 2025
  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 19: JOE FRAZIER FIGHTS ALI, QUARRY AND ELLIS AGAIN
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Mon, 13 Oct 2025
  • Berchelt captures "Reynosa" WBC commemorative belt after triumphant return
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 13 Oct 2025
  • Supeyia Fights Mamdouh in Brico Santig’s Thailand Show; Elmo Traya and Raymond Yanong Also in Action Oct 25 LIVE on TrillerTV
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 13 Oct 2025
  • PIJUS LABUTIS MAKES HISTORY WITH MAIDEN MATCHROOM MAJOR TRIUMPH IN HANOI
    , Mon, 13 Oct 2025
  • ARSLANBEK MAKHMUDOV DEFEATS DAVE ALLEN AND DEMANDS TO FACE AJ NEXT
    , Sun, 12 Oct 2025
  • Domingo faces Fajardo in Thrilla in Manila 2 Countdown
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 12 Oct 2025
  • Doroma-Aranas 2 on October 13
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 12 Oct 2025
  • OFFICIAL WEIGHTS FOR FISTS OF FURY 8, TOMORROW NIGHT AT SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO HOLLYWOOD
    , Sun, 12 Oct 2025
  • Alvin Camique Busts the "Mafia" in Tanzania!!!
    By Carlos Costa, , Sun, 12 Oct 2025
  • DAY FOUR: NEUHAUSEN, CAPITO, VERGARA AND LABUTIS CHARGE INTO SEMI-FINALS IN HANOI
    , Sun, 12 Oct 2025
  • RED OWL BOXING BOXFEST XVI LIVE ON DAZN RESULTS: DEONTE BROWN DEFEATS GRIMARDI MACHUCA
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • SBA Expands Scouting Tour to Discover New Talents for Season 2 Team Expansion
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • Alvin Camigue KOs unbeaten Ibrahin Mafia in Tanzania
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • DARE TO ENTER: ORTIZ VS. LUBIN LESS THAN A MONTH AWAY, GOLDEN BOY ANNOUNCES STACKED PRELIMINARY CARD FEATURING FAN FAVORITES ERIC PRIEST AND ROBIN SAFAR
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • Ennis vs. Lima: Boots is Back in Philly
    By Chris Carlson, , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • Weigh-in Complete: Philadelphia's Jaron Ennis and Uisma Lima Set for WBA Interim World Title Fight
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • Ronny Alvarez Training Camp Notes Ahead of Most Valuable Prospects 16 on DAZN
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington Featured in Exclusive Global Boxing Network Interview
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • SHEFFIELD WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND FIGHT NIGHT RUNNING ORDER CONFIRMED AS ALLEN AND MAKHMUDOV FACE-OFF FOR FINAL TME
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • Manchester says Goodbye to Ricky Hatton
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • DAY THREE: CHUA AND GORST KNOCKED OUT AS BIADO, YAPP AND SHAW MARCH INTO LAST 16
    , Sat, 11 Oct 2025
  • JARON ‘BOOTS’ ENNIS AND UISMA LIMA PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • RED OWL BOXING: BOXFEST XVI – OFFICIAL WEIGH-IN RESULTS
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025
  • Irish amateur star Jim Donovan Right back in ring after pro debut
    , Fri, 10 Oct 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.