The Houston Rockets have been an enigma in recent years. Great regular season team, fun to watch, but disappointing in the playoffs. Over the last five seasons, their success reads like this:
2014-2015: 56-26 (2nd in west, lost WCF finals)
2015-2016: 41-41 (8th in west, lost first round)
2016-2017: 55-27 (3rd in west, lost WCF semis)
2017-2018: 65-17 (1st in west, lost WCF finals)
2018-2019: 53-29 (4th in west, lost WCF semis)
That first year was the last of Kevin McHale as Rockets' coach. That year, if you recall, the Rockets made a stunning comeback from down 3-1 in the Western Conference semi finals to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games. Eleven games into the 2015-16 season, McHale was fired, replaced on an interim basis by Kelvin Sampson. Mike D'Antoni was then hired in 2016, and it has been his regime since then - the wide open, free flowing style that suits their superstar James Harden perfectly. They have quality accessory players, like Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker, an anchor in the middle in Clint Capela, and a hall of fame point guard in Chris Paul.
But yesterday's Adrian Wojnarowski report - that the Rockets are pursuing the Philadelphia 76ers' Jimmy Butler via a sign and trade - shows that General Manager Daryl Morey is urgently wanting to shake things up in Houston.
It also shows how badly he wants to win.
The Rockets, over the last five years, have played a very similar style to that of the Golden State Warriors, an offense that is reliant on the jump shot. In match ups with the Warriors, they have come up short, failing to beat the Warriors at their own game.
Butler would change that, providing the Rockets with a guy who can bring great defense along with scoring ability. PJ Tucker brings defense, but although he can knock down the three, his offense is limited. There are some people wondering, with Butler's personality and the past reported animosity between Harden and Paul, whether the potential acquisition of Butler would bring the Rockets' locker room down in a smouldering heap. This is due to Butler's past history with teammates -when, with the Minnesota Timberwolves, he reportedly distanced himself from Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, and this past year in Philadelphia when, in early January, he met with 76ers coach Brett Brown to discuss his role with the team.
With the Rockets, Butler's role would be adjusted even more, as he wouldn't have the ball in his hands as often, and would fit as a '3 and D' type who could fill it up if Harden doesn't have it going on a particular night. That is the difference between Butler and guys like Tucker and Trevor Ariza, who held that '3 and D' role in the past. Butler can consistently get his own shot. That's not the question here. The question is whether there would be too many mouths to feed to keep guys satisfied. The Harden-led Rockets have never had a formidable trio like the one he, Paul, and Butler would create, and, though formidable, it would be a challenge for D'Antoni to get it to all work and flow.
The downside to this deal for Houston is that they would lose two key elements to their team. Eric Gordon is a three point marksman whose ability to get hot from downtown has proved dividends for the Rockets in the playoffs. Clint Capela is one of the top defensive centers in the game, and provides them with an anchor in the middle who protects the rim and rebounds at a high clip.
But with Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson out of action for next season - Thompson could come back late in the year - Daryl Morey no doubt senses that this is his opportunity to get this team over the hump and take that next step that has eluded them because of the Big Bad Warriors. It is a move that would have some risk, but could pay off.
Morey understands that, and the move would signal that he feels that Rockets time is now.
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