NBA: 10 Best Frontcourts In the League
By Brad Rowland
7) Houston Rockets
Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones, Trevor Ariza
There was real controversy surrounding the Houston Rockets this off-season, as they inexplicably allowed Chandler Parsons to reach restricted free agency, only to allow him to walk to Dallas while failing to match on a massive, three-year offer sheet. While there are many theories about why Houston did this (i.e. to fulfill a “handshake” agreement with Dwight Howard’s agent, etc.), the bigger takeaway is that Parsons is gone, and the Rockets have replaced his services with the addition of Trevor Ariza.
The 29-year-old Ariza famously tanked while playing in Houston after signing a big-time contract before the 2009-2010 season, but despite his “contract year” persona, the versatile forward should be very good for the Rockets. He will provide a much-needed boost defensively for a team that employs James Harden as its other wing option, and Ariza also managed to knock down a career-best 40.7% of his three-point attempts last season in Washington. It is entirely possible that Chandler Parsons is better than Trevor Ariza, but Ariza could be the better fit if he can replicate his 2013-2014 production.
As we move down the line, former Kentucky star Terrence Jones is poised for a breakout campaign. Jones emerged from relative obscurity to post a 19.1 PER to go along with 16.0 points and 9.1 rebounds per 36 minutes last season, and now, the power forward job unquestionably belongs to him as the new season approaches. Jones does have some defensive issues caused by his lack of size, but they are masked by a certain All-Star center, and Terrence Jones could be one of the better players in the NBA that the general public hasn’t learned about to this point.
In the middle, Dwight Howard is the key to everything for Houston. Yes, the Rockets do employ the best offensive shooting guard in the NBA with James Harden, but they are kick-started by Howard. There are rumblings that Howard is fully healthy for the first time since his days in Orlando, and if he can somehow improve on the 2013-2014 season when he averaged 18.3 points, 12.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game, it could be trouble for the rest of the league.
The days are gone when Dwight Howard was the no doubt choice as the best center in the league, but at 28 years old, he has plenty in the tank, and there is no weakness on the Houston front line.