The Houston Rockets continue to falter and the woes just don't seem to end.
For a team that was considered among the teams to figure prominently in the Western Conference, a bad start and lack of cohesion hound the team despite having stars like James Harden and Dwight Howard around.
The season started out slow for the Rockets, and that led to the surprise firing of Kevin McHale. J.B. Bickerstaff took over on an interim basis, but admits that the Rockets are broken right now.
With the National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star break in full swing, Bickerstaff plans to use the free time to evaluate the Rockets and hopefully identify what the root problem is for the team that made a good showing during the last NBA playoffs.
Bickerstaff reportedly met with general manager Daryl Morey along with Harden and Howard to discuss the issues after their 116–103 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and such should be a good start to pry out the problem.
Could there be changes ahead?
The reason for asking that question is the latest report on the Rockets that surrounds Howard. The 6-foot-11-inch center is reportedly on the trading block, although Howard stressed that he did not ask for it.
For a team that is trying to fix something, that surely is a curious one. Then again, it could be a sign that the Rockets want to change something up and that includes trading away a player who hasn't exactly delivered since his arrival.
Howard has been plagued by injuries lately and his numbers have been severely affected. Even though playing second fiddle could be a reason, Howard has simply failed to showcase the skills that made him a big hit when he was still with the Orland Magic.
Since moving to the Los Angeles Lakers and then the Rockets, Howard has hardly showed his dominance inside the paint. He does put up the usual double-doubles but are far from a monster output.
James Harden may not be on the trading block (yet), but his performance has been subpar as well. It is believed that this could be tied up with his off-court life, although the bearded one has been trying his best to play through it.
