Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science: The All-Star Break is Here

Jan 27, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket while guarded by San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2016; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) drives to the basket while guarded by San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) during the second half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports /
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Houston Rockets Daily Rocket Science – Finally! The All-Star Break is Here!

What a miserable start to the season Red Nation!

After losing to the Portland Trail Blazers for the second time this week, who could imagine after 55 games, the Houston Rockets would have registered a 27-28 record. If the playoffs started today, Houston would find themselves at home watching the post season with the rest of Clutch City.

The Rockets are heading into the All-Star break on a three game losing streak, while ranked ninth in the Western Conference. With all the struggles they have faced this season, it’s time for the Rockets to take a long break.

Not sure what’s going on in Houston, but with 27 games remaining, the Rockets cannot afford to waste anymore time. They need to make a mid season push, and need to start now!

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Without a doubt, the Rockets need to find a new identity before the second half of the season. Daryl Morey will need to make a bold move in order to get this team back on track. With the trading deadline a week away, perhaps Morey should move one of the Rockets core members to give them a fresh start.

According to House of Houston‘s staff writer James D’Elia, he wrote an opinion piece stating that the Rockets should look to trade Patrick Beverley and not Ty Lawson.

"It would be crazy to think that the Rockets should get rid of their premier defensive-stopper for a guy who has struggled to find a place in the offense. In what might be a shock for most of you, Lawson’s defensive rating is just two points lower than that of Beverley so in reality he is no longer the lock down specialist he used to be, and what he lacks on offense really hurts the Rockets."

Of course trading Patrick Beverley will be an unpopular decision among Rockets fans, but D’Elia isn’t standing alone in his article. If their is one player Morey should trade, Beverley needs to be at the top of the list.

Although he is still a key member, Beverley is no longer the same lock down defender who once injured Russell Westbrook during the 2013 playoffs. However, Beverley has yet to become a consistent point guard who can take the load off James Harden‘s shoulders on the nightly basis.

Speaking of Harden, ESPN Staff Writer Calvin Watkins reported that Harden’s frustration with his team is nearing the boiling point.

"“Yeah, because my first year was different,” Harden said. “We weren’t as talented and we still made playoffs, which was a big step for us. We have a lot of talent in this locker room, of course, coming off the Western Conference finals and being in the seventh spot right now. It’s frustrating, but we still have opportunities.”"

This is the first time all season Harden spoke out to the media about his frustrations with the team. As the leader in Houston, it’s going to be interesting to see how Harden’s teammates respond to his comments. Despite becoming named the league’s most disappointing team this season, Rockets’ fans got an opportunity to reminisce about the great career of Hakeem Olajuwon.

ESPN have concluded their All-Time NBA Ranking. According to the NBA on ESPN Twitter account, Olajuwon was ranked as the tenth best player in NBA history.

12x NBA All-Star & NBA MVP Hakeem Olajuwon is No. 10 in all-time #NBArank. pic.twitter.com/Qd4zvAgz6b

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 9, 2016

Although it’s nice to see Olajuwon make the top 10, he should have been ranked a few spots higher. Especially above LeBron James, who came in at number three. When it is all said and done, James will go down as one of the best players this game has ever seen. Yet, to say he is a better player than The Dream, is nonsense.

Next: Should Houston Rockets Trade for Jeff Teague?

With the trade deadline around the corner make sure you visit Space City Scoop daily for our trade series. Each day SCS will feature an article on who the Rockets should trade for or what it would take to part ways with the players currently on the roster. Finally we’ll assess the Rockets and each team in the Association in terms of what their needs are, if they should be buyers or sellers and also speculate on who would be the ideal trade target.