Right after Christmas, the Rockets rolled the dice on the enigmatic talent and even though he didn't quite work out in Detroit, he was out to prove that he could make a difference in Houston. In late December, Josh Smith and the Pistons decided to part ways, putting him on the free agent market mid-season. Ariza may not have the same kind of offensive game, but he came at half the price and was one of the biggest difference makers for them all year on the defensive end of the floor while he both made and attempted more threes than he ever has in his career. Trevor Ariza returned for his second stint in Houston, as he appeared in 72 games with the Rockets in 2009-10, and he fit in beautifully as the replacement for Chandler Parsons. Motiejunas proved his worth as a versatile seven-footer who produces at an efficient level (50% FG), spaces the floor (36.8% 3FG), mixes it up a little in the paint and plays the game with intelligence. Especially due to the injury woes of Howard and Jones, head coach Kevin McHale even started him in 62 games. The leader of the team rose to the challenge and put the entire team on his back through important stretches, having as good of a year as anyone in the NBA.ĭonatas Motiejunas stepped up and made a big leap in his third year, as well, averaging 12 points and 5.9 rebounds in his first full season playing a major role. Harden not only played some of the best basketball of his career, he finished second in MVP voting and absolutely dominated fantasy leagues with averages of 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. Of course, it helps you get through tough times when you have a superstar like James Harden to lean on. To make matters worse, Patrick Beverley appeared in only 56 games all year and in late March, a bum left wrist ruled him out for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, paving the way for the 37-year-old Jason Terry to act as the interim starting point guard. Later in the year, he missed even more time with a collapsed lung and was only able to suit up for 33 games throughout the entire the regular season. It also didn't help that Terrence Jones missed 41 consecutive games due to nerve inflammation in his left leg. Any time you are missing a piece of Howard's caliber for half of the season, you are faced with a serious problem, and the Rockets weren't very deep at the center position as it is. The biggest hit the injury bug put out on Houston was directed at defensive anchor Dwight Howard, who missed 41 games with continuous right knee troubles that kept him sidelined through multiple different stretches throughout the season. They certainly had a terrific group of guys, but it's very rare for a team to persevere at an elite level when they are as plagued by injuries as they were, especially considering how many key players went down for extended periods of time. It's pretty amazing how strong of a season last year's Houston Rockets were able to put together.
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