The Houston Rockets Futures Odds (BetDSI Sportsbook)
Houston Rockets to win the Southwest Division: -110
Houston Rockets to win the Western Conference: +500
Houston Rockets to win the NBA Championship: +1000
Houston Rockets Season Total Win Prediction: Total 56.5 (Over -140, Under +110)
The Houston Rockets recorded 55 wins last year and finished 3rd in the West, behind Golden State and San Antonio. After a quite impressive regular season, the Rockets crushed Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the opening round of the playoffs, but then they suffered a defeat to the Spurs in six matches. Houston entered the series with a surprising win at San Antonio, but the Spurs took control of it and eventually eliminated the Texas rivals.
They failed to win the Southwest Division, trailing six wins behind the Spurs, but this time around, the Rockets have a fantastic chance to win the division and get into the mix for the NBA championship. With the addition of a superstar point guard Chris Paul, Houston became a serious contender for the title, and now with two All-Star players in the backcourt, the championship hunt can begin. Both Paul and Harden are in their prime, and neither of them has a ring, so it seems like their time has come. Harden truly needed another player of his caliber by his side, and now Houston is the third favorites to lift the trophy at the end of the campaign.
Harden had a fantastic year behind him as he finished second in the MVP race, behind Russell Westbrook who won the award but now with Paul on the floor, “The Beard” could be even better and take the prestigious title away from a former teammate Westbrook.
Read on to find out more about the Houston Rockets offseason moves and the 2017/2018 futures and props brought to you by BetDSI Sportsbook. Also, don’t forget to visit our Get More Sports website for more NBA teams season previews.
The 2017/2018 Houston Rockets Roster
Arrivals: Isaiah Hartenstein, Demetrius Jackson, Shawn Long, Luc Mbah a Moute, Cameron Oliver, Tom Quarterman, Qi Zhou, Chris Paul, PJ Tucker, Tarik Black.
Departures: Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Darrun Hilliard, DeAndre Liggins, Kyle Wiltjer, Bobby Brown.
At the No. 43 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Houston Rockets selected an American-born German power forward Isaiah Hartenstein, who plays for the Lithuanian champions Zalgiris Kaunas. The 19-year-old participated in the NBA Summer League but will return to Lithuania to spend another season with the former EuroLeague winners. Demetrius Jackson signed a two-way contract with the Rockets but will spend the year with the G-League affiliate the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Jackson previously played for the Boston Celtics in 2016/17, but the point guard appeared in only five matches for the C’s.
Cameron Oliver joined the Rockets as an undrafted player out of Nevada University, and the forward signed a multi-year deal with Texas outfit. Oliver, a highly athletic player, who is known for his acrobatic dunks, averaged 16 ppg, 8.7 rpg, and 2.6 bpg for the Wolf Pack last season. Competition for the small forward position is quite fierce, Oliver will have to settle behind Trevor Ariza, PJ Tucker, and Luc Mbah a Moute in the pecking order. Tim Quarterman came to Houston after spending the previous year with the Portland Trail Blazers, but he only averaged five minutes per game in 16 matches and will be an emergency backup for James Harden and Eric Gordon.
The player who could have a decent playing time in his sophomore year in the NBA is Shawn Long, a power forward who switched Philadelphia to Houston. The 24-year-old appeared in 18 matches for the Sixers last season and averaged 8.2 ppg and 4.7 rpg in 13.0 mpg, which are not bad numbers, not at all. He must fight with Ryan Anderson and Tarik Black for a place in the rotation, but it’s realistic to expect him battling with black for the No. 2 power forward behind Anderson.
The Chinese sensation, Zhou Qi, signed with the Rockets a year after they selected him with the 43rd pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. Qi was the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, and the CBA blocks leader in 2015 and 2016. He is 7’1″ and has a quite long wingspan at 7’7¾”, but will have to wait for his chance because Clint Capela and Nene will split minutes at the center position, while Chinanu Onuaku will be his main contender for the third option at the position.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute moved to Houston from Los Angeles after he spent the last two seasons with the Clippers. The Cameroonian averaged 6.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, and 1.0 spg in 80 games (76 starts) and will be a solid backup to small forwards, Ariza and Tucker. Luc’s experience will be beneficial to the Rockets as he’s entering his tenth season in the NBA. In the last four years, Mbah a Moute recorded more steals than turnovers, 236-219.
PJ Tucker left Toronto after only 24 matches, averaging 5.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.3 spg, and 1.1 apg and is expected to serve behind Trevor Ariza at the small forward position. I expect that a former Phoenix Sun will get around 20 minutes per game in 2017/18. Tarik Black returned to the Rockets after two and a half years with the Los Angeles Lakers and is back to create competition to Ryan Anderson and Shawn Long at power forward spot. He averaged 5.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg in 16.3 mpg for the Lakers last year.
In one of the biggest moves of the offseason, Chris Paul switched California to Texas in a blockbuster deal that saw seven other players going to the Clippers. The nine-time All-Star averaged 18.1ppg, 9.2 apg, 5.0 rpg, and 2.0 spg in 61 games for the Clippers in 2016/17, and it was his only season in last four in which he failed to average a double-double. Paul and Harden will make one of the best backcourt duos in the NBA, so I won’t be surprised if his numbers improve this year. This partnership is perhaps his last opportunity to win the NBA ring, and Paul will do everything in his power to grab the title.
|
PG |
SG |
SF |
PF |
C |
| Chris Paul | James Harden | Trevor Ariza | Ryan Anderson | Clint Capela |
| Isaiah Taylor | Eric Gordon | PJ Tucker | Tarik Black | Nene |
| Tim Quarterman | Luc Mbah a Moute | Shawn Long | Chinanu Onuaku | |
| Troy Williams | Zhou Qi |
Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams are the Rockets biggest losses in this offseason, but they had to be sacrificed in order to Houston get Chris Paul. Williams had a great year with the Lakers and Rockets and was the finalist for the sixth man of the year, averaging 17.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, and 2.5 rpg. He still has a lot to offer, but Houston had to give up on him and Beverley, who spent his entire career at Houston and averaged 9.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 4.2 apg, and 1.5 spg in 30.7 mpg. Other players who were used in the Chris Paul trade are Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell, but neither of them played a significant role in Houston, and they will definitely have more luck in Los Angeles.
The Rockets extended the contracts of Nene and Troy Williams. The Brazilian returned to Houston after he averaged 9.1 ppg and 4.2 rpg in 17.9 mpg last season, while Williams recorded 9.7 ppg and 4.0 rpg in six games for Houston following his move from the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half of the 2016/17 campaign.
Houston starting lineup has a lot of potential, especially the backcourt, but the second unit with the sixth man of the year, Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker, and Nene can be quite dangerous for the opponents and I could say that the Rockets have eight excellent players in the rotation. Others will certainly be useful, but Harden and Paul will run the floor and orchestrate the play.
The Bottom Line and Total Win Prediction
The Rockets weren’t this good since the mid-90s and this is their opportunity to shine, so I believe they will take the divisional title out of the San Antonio Spurs’ hands. They will definitely reach the semi-finals of the Western Conference, but I think it’s the right time for a further step and the conference finals, where the Rockets will likely meet the Golden State Warriors. The bookies are backing my opinion and the BetDSI Sportsbook set the winning margin at 56.5 and considering the last year’s Rockets recorded 55 victories, I will go for over without a doubt.
Season total wins: Over 56.5 wins (-140)
