Fansided

NBA free agency: 5 destinations for David West

By John Buhler

Dec 23, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward David West (30) works for position around Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward David West (30) works for position around Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Mar 7, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Indiana Pacers power forward David West (21) reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Indiana Pacers power forward David West (21) reacts to a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Richardson-USA TODAY Sports /

West. Southwest. Houston Rockets. 4. player. 169.

The Houston Rockets stumbled to a miserable .500 season in 2015-16 after making it all the way to the 2015 Western Conference Finals. One could easily argue on-court chemistry and locker room turmoil as the culprits for Houston’s demise last season.

However, the Rockets should be a better team in 2016-17 for several reasons. Frustrated center Dwight Howard is almost certainly leaving Houston now that his former head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers in Mike D’Antoni will lead the Rockets in 2016-17. James Harden is still an elite NBA player and Houston remains a great free agency destination.

While D’Antoni will look to go up-tempo with his team this winter, for the Rockets to hold their own with the best teams in the Western Conference, they’ll have to play great defense. With D’Antoni having defensive guru Jeff Bzdelik on his staff, West could come off the Rockets’ bench and provide that great defensive spark and low-post offensive presence they’ll need to advance in the 2017 Western Conference Playoffs.

Perhaps West’s insatiable slake for an NBA Championship will inspire his prospective Rockets’ teammates to get over last year’s misgivings and put it all together to get Houston back to the NBA Finals for the first time since the humble beginnings of Clutch City with Hakeem Olajuwon and Rudy Tomjanovich.

Next: 3. San Antonio Spurs.

Home/Atlanta Hawks