BDL 25: The Rockets try to regain a sense of decency

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James Harden waits out the final Rockets game of last season. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) It’s difficult to justify the 2015-16 Houston Rockets. A Western Conference finalist the previous season, Houston entered the campaign with hopes of challenging for a title. The Rockets instead regressed terribly, looking as if they had no interest in playing together and never stringing together a sustained run of quality. The Rockets limped into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed, but their inability to take advantage of Stephen Curry’s injury in the first round summed up the season in general. This team simply looked disengaged and unmotivated from October through April.
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It’s hard to pinpoint any one thing that went wrong, because the issue wasn’t necessarily tactical or strategic. Rather, the entire idea of the Rockets seemed to break down. James Harden continued to serve as one of the league’s most productive offensive weapons, but his lack of defensive effort became a source of constant criticism. Since-departed center Dwight Howard was asked to do far too much on the defensive end, and the role players often appeared to be unsure of their jobs for no other reason than that the team was so disjointed. Interim head coach J.B. Bickerstaff took over for the fired Kevin McHale after a handful of games and proved unable to cope with the immense task in front of him. The team was a chore to watch.
General manager Daryl Morey set about rectifying the situation this summer and obtained mixed results. An exhaustive coaching search brought in Mike D’Antoni, not exactly the man most would expect to better a team’s defensive concerns. Their biggest moves in free agency followed a similar pattern — stretch big man Ryan Anderson and shooting guard Eric Gordon are non-defenders known for their shooting and scoring. The idea appears to be to double-down on the team’s considerable offensive strengths and hope that young center Clint Capela develops into a high-quality rim protector. There will be no full-scale reinvention of the team’s tactics and strategies — the offense will revolve around James Harden, albeit at a faster pace.
It’s tempting to say that such a lack of change is foolish given how bad the Rockets looked last season. Yet those problems went far beyond what occurred on the court and well into the psychology of the squad. The 2015-16 Rockets weren’t disappointing because they lacked talent or tactical knowhow. Instead, the problems were primarily due to attitude. It’s entirely possible that their new, generally positive head coach can improve the defense simply by showing up. This team was mostly in need of a change in mindset.
It’s possible that such a honeymoon period will not last, but the Rockets also seem like a group in need of sustained joy to turn things around. In other words, a short-term fix could be the precursor to a long-term one. The worst thing that could happen to Houston is a poor start. It would just confirm that they haven’t escaped last season’s doldrums.
The best thing going for the Rockets in 2016-17 is that they won’t have to live up to especially high expectations. Harden and Co. have a fresh start, and that has to feel good. A strong beginning to the season would allow them to regain a sense of decency and continue with the right attitude. Anyone who had to suffer through watching Houston last year should hope that’s the case.
Previously, on BDL 25:
Chris Bosh’s increasingly hazy career prospects
Kevin Durant sets about winning back our love
Stephen Curry’s search for an encore, and for invincibility lost
The NBA, social activism and a change we need to see in 2016-17
The Trail Blazers, and the promise and peril of ‘pretty good’
Will the Pistons ever get into gear?
Introducing the (maybe) thoroughly modern Grizzlies
Is the new-look Indiana Pacers core worth fearing?
It’s time for Anthony Davis to resume blowing our minds
How will the Warriors recover from a historic Finals collapse?
Is the new-look Indiana Pacers’ core worth fearing?
Counting on the Clippers to contend is insane, so call them crazy
The 76ers and the fascinating challenge of figuring it all out
On the final ‘couple of years’ of Dirk Nowitzki in the NBA
Can Jimmy Butler and ‘the three alphas’ coexist on the Bulls?
The Knicks make no sense, which makes all the sense in the world
LeBron, the Cavs, and writing sequels to storybook endings
Russell Westbrook is going to absolutely go nuts this year
The Spurs’ post-Duncan challenge of winning the West
The Lakers venture into the post-Kobe era
Expect the Utah Jazz to take a big leap forward

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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