The dangerous Houston Rockets had some offseason changes losing Trevor Ariza, and have struggled a bit to replace him on both sides of the ball. Of course when we think the Rockets, Chris Paul and James Harden come to mind as one of the dynamic backcourts in the game. It has to be mentioned when Paul misses time, Harden shifts over to point guard, and Eric Gordon enters the starting rotation. The Carmelo Anthony experiment failed, and James Ennis and Danuel House have been filling in at small forward. It is not the best scenario for the Rockets, but it could be something they fill-in. P.J. Tucker has been a heavy minutes eater for Houston, playing the defensive role to lock down opposing team's best scorers. Clint Capela has taken a major step forwards, and the minutes have ticked up as well from prior seasons.
Chris Paul was the major addition to Houston last season, and his impact was immediately felt. The Rockets win record was much better when Paul and Harden played together; while Paul missed some games, Harden is an easy guard to move over to point. Paul’s numbers fell a little bit which was expected, but Harden’s remained very strong, earning an MVP award. Both are still top ten in production at their position, and Houston’s contingency plan for Paul’s occasional injuries is Eric Gordon. He is an important part of this offense regardless of Paul’s health, but critical when Paul is out. Gordon is an important scorer off the bench, and can play both the one and two. When Paul is out he will play alongside Harden, who moves over to point guard.
Gerald Green signed another year and will likely take on a bigger role given Houston lost two forwards. One being Trevor Ariza and the loss will be felt on the defensive side of the ball. This leaves them a bit thin, and a crucial two defenders is done. P.J. Tucker is going to log heavy minutes guarding some of the league’s best, but in terms of fantasy he is one of the lower end options you can think of. James Ennis might be a name to keep an eye on as a sleeper for this role.
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