The NBA is back! Just like your favorite superhero story, the league brings fun, entertainment, and a lot of uncanny subplots to unpack. That’s why NBA.com Philippines decided to preview the new season comic-book style. We pick out fantastic characters that will take the stage and new amazing arcs to watch out for. Bang! Pow! Boom! Let’s go!
What’s their superpower?
The Houston Rockets is the young start-up brand that’s open to suggestions and innovations. They’ve got nothing to lose in their long climb back up to the top - anything better than the 22-60 finish last season is a huge step forward.
That’s their superpower right now, the low-expectation mindset as they move on to their next phase of the rebuild. With significant additions Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green, the start-up company now has vets, enforcers, and former champs to improve team culture.
They’re not expected to make the playoffs yet, but that just makes them all the more dangerous. They’re an underdog and unpredictable team that has the pieces in place, ready to pull off upsets - that’s all the upside you can hope for in a young team.
What’s their kryptonite?
Like any young team with new key pieces, their kryptonite is chemistry. A summer of training is unlikely to turn things completely around for the Rockets. They can shoot for something more realistic: a step forward to the right direction.
If the up-and-coming stars like Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and Alperen Sengun can mesh well with the new group of vets, then this weakness can immediately turn into a strength. They’ve got a full season ahead of them to figure it out.
Who is their biggest hero?
The Memphis Grizzlies won’t say it out loud, but Dillon Brooks is the recent biggest contributor to the Grizz’s culture of grittiness and toughness for the past few seasons. If Brooks can bring that same energy to Houston, he can give an instant boost in giving this new-look Rockets much-needed character.
As long as he can stay on the floor and avoid getting thrown out, then he has the potential to become the Rockets’ hero that they didn’t know they needed.
Who is their biggest villain?
Last season, there were a lot of “just let him cook” moments from Jalen Green, which led to a whole world of inefficiency and turnovers. That’s going to be the Rockets’ villain entering the new season.
Adding VanVleet and Brooks (both notorious in chucking up shots) definitely won’t help in that department. The biggest challenge for the team is how to keep things clean and efficient, all while trying to figure out who can lead them in that agenda.
How does their story play out?
A winning coach in Ime Udoka (he led the Boston Celtics to the finals in his first stint) will have his work cut out for him in this new assignment.
For these types of rebuilding process, multiple things have to perfectly align for it to work - an engaged and disciplined Brooks, a mature Green, a consistent Sengun, and so on. Wishing Udoka a lot of luck won’t be enough. What he and the Rockets need is time.
