![]() ![]() Just chalk this up to rookie hazing (and a rookie mistake for a leader) and keep it movin'. OK, so, not the smoothest move, Jeremy, but your instinct - call the disheartened rook, get your Semisonic on and make with the encouragement - was a good one. only to have a tense moment when the phone rang and Lin was on the other end. Once the team had announced that it had parted ways with Livingston, Machado felt his place was secure. 2012-13 Houston Rockets Roster National Basketball Association ( NBA ) Team Record: 45-37 Finishing 3rd in the NBA's Southwest Division of the Western Conference Postseason: 2-4 Lost conference first round Conference First Round - Lost to Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 Coach: Kevin McHale (45-37) Location: Houston, Texas Attendance: 683,564, Avg. After impressing in his opportunities to run the Rockets' Summer League team, he continued to impress in preseason, surprising many by winning a spot on the roster ahead of veteran Livingston. It certainly did work out for Machado, a 22-year-old point guard who went undrafted out of Iona, but caught on with the Rockets after leading the nation in assists per game as a senior (9.9 dimes in 35.5 minutes per game) and finishing his collegiate career with the third-most assists in NCAA history (880, behind only Maryland triggerman Steve Blake and Kansas guard Aaron Miles) ranked 17th in assists in NCAA history ( whoops). It's a thoughtful, if difficult, thing to do. The former New York Knicks point guard steeled himself, picked up his phone and dialed the 2012 lottery pick to wish him well, tell the kid to keep his head up and, one would suspect, suggest that he continue to rise and grind, as NBA players tend to do. So credit newly imported point guard Jeremy Lin, one of Morey's two prize restricted free agency acquisitions this summer, with trying to act like a veteran leader after news broke that rookie Jeremy Lamb had been part of the package shipped to Oklahoma City in exchange for Harden. As it stands, swingman Carlos Delfino (a relative graybeard at age 30) and reserve shooter Daequan Cook (all of 25) are the only Rockets with more than three years of NBA experience to their credit amid all this youth, a new crop of leaders must emerge. This past weekend's stunning trade of speedy scorer Kevin Martin (nearly 30 years old) for bearded upgrade James Harden (barely 23) only accelerated the youth movement, as did general manager Daryl Morey's subsequent roster moves to trim Houston's roster to 15 players - 27-year-old cuts Gary Forbes and Shaun Livingston were two of the three oldest players on the Rockets' depth chart. The Rockets have been in discussions with the New York Knicks throughout the offseason to secure a trade for Carmelo Anthony, but it now appears those talks have stalled.īut with the team they have at present, Houston should still be a serious threat in the Western Conference and could potentially match the 2012 OKC team by making it to the finals.As we noted in last week's season preview, this season's Houston Rockets will be a very, very young team. They also re-signed Nene and retained the services of reigning Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon and sharpshooter Ryan Anderson. Tucker, Luc Mbah a Moute and Tarik Black. It will allow the duo to create a deadly backcourt partnership and give Harden a chance to play off the ball and benefit from Paul’s playmaking abilities.īut the point guard’s arrival also saw the team give up a number of pieces including All-Defensive guard Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker and Lou Williams.īut the nine-time All-Star is the best teammate Harden has had since his days in Oklahoma City and that’s why he’s so optimistic going into this season.Īlong with Paul, Houston has also improved the roster by bringing in P.J. The addition of CP3 has already reshaped the entire team. With a talented young group also featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, the Thunder were primed to make regular appearances in the Finals but Harden was soon shipped off to Houston after failing to agree on a contract extension.įrom once being a threat off to the bench, the 28-year-old is now the leader and face of the Rockets franchise. However, he was named as the Sixth Man of the Year for his contributions during the shortened 66-game campaign, averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. The shooting guard was in his third year in the league during that season and had not blossomed into the huge star he is today. ![]()
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