The Houston Rockets are starting off a very anticipated season in the NBA this year after signing Dwight Howard and the team will start off their run with a home game against the Charlotte Bobcats starting up at 8 pm at the Toyota Center and it will be Patrick Beverley starting at point guard over Jeremy Lin.
The Rockets have one of the best starting lineups in the league and adding Howard to a front line that already includes Omer Asik and James Harden should be very good. The Rockets are playing in one of the toughest divisions in the league and the Rockets open up against the Bobcats, who signed Al Jefferson in the offseason and then the Rockets will play against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in the first division game for the team. The Rockets won 45 games last season and made it in as the eighth seed and after losing to the Thunder, the team should easily make it in as one of the top seeds this season.
Harden averaged over 25 points last season and he could be even better this season playing with Chandler Parsons, Lin, Howard and Terrence Jones and the team has plenty of depth as well. Coach Kevin McHale has said that he plans to use Asik and Howard at the same time in certain sets and that could open up the offense for the Rockets. The team was one of the highest scoring in the league last season and while they ranked 28th in scoring defense, that should improve with Howard in the game and he is one of the best defensive players in the league.
The Rockets used a number of different starting lineups during the preseason and on Friday it was Beverley in the point guard spot with Chandler Parsons, James Harden, Dwight Howard and Omer Asik and that is likely what the team will use on Wednesday. While Lin is going to come off the bench to begin the season, the point guard likely will get some starts and he should be playing significant minutes this season as well no matter who ends up starting the most games. Beverley has shown off some talent over the preseason and in the playoffs last year stepping in for Lin and now he gets the chance to show what he can do in the season starting with the Bobcats.
Lin comes in after averaging just over 13 points and six assists last season and while he was injured in the playoffs, he was expecting to come back fine for this season. Beverley really showed off some talent in the preseason and now he gets the starting job. The Rockets are playing against the Bobcats on Wednesday night on TSOH and CSN Houston and streaming online form the NBA League pass at 8 pm.
