Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science: Make That Change
November 7, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) and guard James Harden (13) during the shoot around before playing against Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
Like president Barack Obama's 2008 slogan, it's time for the Houston Rockets to make a change.
With two weeks left before the trade deadline, the Rockets are in desperate need for a huge change. Who would have thought with the season halfway over, Houston would possess a 27-26 record, and be sitting in seventh place in the West.
The next two weeks are critical for Daryl Morey as he attempts to get his team back on track. Sometimes a drastic change during mid season is enough to win a title in June.
Take the 1995 Houston Rockets for example. Much like the modern day team, the Rockets came into the 1994-95 season full of high expectations as defending champions. However, midway through the season, their championship looked like a fluke after a sluggish start.
With the knowledge they needed a change in order to repeat as champs, the Rockets traded forward Otis Thorpe to the Portland Trail Blazers for All-Star Clyde Drexler. This drastic change in season was enough for the Rockets to defeat the Orlando Magic and repeat as champions that same season.
Perhaps a change like Drexler in 95 is what the Rockets need. As far as I'm concerned, as long as we keep James Harden and Dwight Howard, Morey should be willing to trade anyone.
Houston Rockets news and notes from around the web
Since he signed with the Rockets three seasons ago, Dwight Howard has made Houston one of the top tier targets for the Hack-A-Shaq strategy. During last season's Western Conference Semifinals against the Los Angeles Clippers, it seemed as if each game took an additional 30 minutes with both coaches using intentional fouling.
Fans and players around the league have complained about the "Hack-A-Rules" and it's finally looking like there's change in store. Although he was reluctant to change the rules last summer, according to USA Today Sports writer Jeff Zillgitt, he reported that NBA Commissioner Adam Sliver, there will be changes to the "Hack-A-Player" strategy.
""I'm increasingly of the view that we will be looking to make some sort of change in that rule this summer," Sliver told USA Today Sports."Even for those who had not wanted to make the change, we're being forced to that position just based on these sophisticated coaches understandably using every tactic available to them. It's just not the way we want to see the game played.""
As a fan of the game, I hope Adam Sliver creates some harsh rules for the "Hack-A-Shaq" strategy. However as a competitor, I understand the advantages bad free throw shooters give to opponents. Yet, it's like what my co-writer Ben Casey once said, the Hack-a-Strategy Doesn't Work.
After their embarrassing 17 point lost to the Trail Blazers, the Rockets may have hit rock bottom with their fans. This season has become so much of an embarrassment, Houston Chronicle reporter Jerome Solomon has come to the conclusion that the Rockets are not a good team at all.
"The Rockets' official team theme, their marketing hook for the season, is "Pursuit." It was the same thing last year. But through 53 games this season, the Rockets are pursuing something less tangible than an NBA championship or conference title. They are in pursuit of consistency and decency, desperately seeking a stretch of good basketball that might show they are better than their 27-26 record reveals."
As much as I hate to admitted, Solomon nailed every problem the Rockets have faced this season. These are the reasons Houston have not been a good team this year.
Perhaps a change in Houston's organization will help them gain more respect from other NBA analysts. Over the past few years it's no secret that former Rocket Charles Barkley does not like Houston.
Any chance Barkley gets, the Hall-of-Fame player will bash the Rockets organization by any means. Here is Barkley's latest rant about the Rockets from Turner Sports' Twitter.
Charles Barkley on the Houston Rockets https://t.co/wQ1bjSzwtR
— TurnerSportsPR (@TurnerSportsPR) February 4, 2016
Barkley, please stop bashing Houston. You only spent four seasons in Clutch City and did not accomplish anything.
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With the trade deadline around the corner, make sure you visit Space City Scoop daily for our trade series. Each day, SCS will feature an article on who the Rockets should trade for or what it would take to part ways with the players currently on the roster. Finally, we'll assess the Rockets and each team in the Association in terms of what their needs are, if they should be buyers or sellers, and also speculate on who would be the ideal trade target.