Houston Rockets Game 21 of 2015-16 Season – vs Sacramento Kings

Houston Rockets Game 21 of 2015-16  found H-Town looking for another 3-game win streak at the cost of the Sacramento Kings.

Continuing SCS series of all 82 games from last season next up is the Houston Rockets Game 21 of 2015-16 versus the Sacramento Kings.

Dec 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi (18) has his shot blocked by Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) in the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets added draft picks and signed free agents to improve upon an especially mediocre 41-41 campaign. Big man Dwight Howard left for Atlanta while free agents Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon, Nene Hilario and Pablo Prigioni.

Hopes are these additions and the growth of existing assets will translate into a season similar to 2014-15. While fans wait for opening night on October 26th versus the Lakers hopefully this series will appease your cravings.

To that end, this series showcases the Rockets 82 games noting the pregame analysis, post game grades, and relevant video. Furthermore, SCS will highlight significant changes made by their opponents this summer. So, here it is – – enjoy all 82 posts as SCS takes you back over the 2015-16 season.

Game 21 – Sacramento Kings

With a 2-game win streak on the line the Houston Rockets entered the night looking to make it 3 in a row.

Pregame Analysis:

Dec 5, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) gets tangled up with Sacramento Kings forward Rudy Gay (8) on the follow through of his shot during the second quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports

In an excerpt from the pregame analysis SCS pointed out the coincidence of  Houston Rockets game 21 resembling game 6 of the season which was the last time they faced the Kings.

The last time these two teams met the Rockets were looking to extend their win streak to 3 games in a row. Flash forward to tonight and it’s a deja vu situation.

JB Bickerstaff seems to have found a way to get his troops to work together while also integrating Ty Lawson and defining others roles. Let’s see if they can take advantage of the reeling Kings and keep the streak alive.

The full pregame analysis can be viewed via this link.

Post Game Analysis:

Coty Davis outlined 3 take away lessons in his post game review with specific emphasis paid to the defense:

Boy what a difference a year makes. Last season, the Rockets were one of the top defensive teams in the league. This season, defense has become the Rockets biggest problem. Giving up a total of 107.3 point per game, the Rockets defense currently ranks 28th in the league. During the first quarter, it seems as if the Rockets were going to have a great game on the defensive end as they held the Kings to 16 points.

However, between the second and third quarters, the Kings outscored the Rockets 69-55. They allowed the Kings to make 70 percent of their shots in the third, which was the reason why the Rockets were down heading into the fourth. In order for the Rockets to continue their improvements, they must play better defensive. Yeah, the Rockets were able to outscored the Kings this game, but against other championship contenders will not cut it.

The full write-up can be viewed via this link.

Stat Leaders:

From Coty Davis’ post game player grade report, most notably the Rockets two stars shone brightest.

Conversely the best opponent was Rajon Rondo who had an especially relevant stat line including 19 assists.

NBA.com box score can be reviewed via this link.

Rockets Games vs Kings in 2016-17

• November 25th, in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center
• December 14th at home
• January 31st at home
• April 9th, in Sacramento at Golden 1 Center

Draft Picks and Free Agents

Because Vlade Divac continues to make head scratching moves offering pundits copious reasons for teasing. Draft night was no exception as Divac chose to select another big man (Papagiannis) rather than prospect Marquese Chriss who could be among the Associations best in 5 years.

While the Kings need to add guards and wings Divac consequently dangles their existing players at those positions while adding more front court players.

Draft Picks:

Round 1: Georgios Papagiannis (13), Malachi Richardson (22) via trade of Marco Belinelli to Hornets, Skal Labissiere (28)

Round 2: Isaiah Cousins (59)

Incoming Free Agents/trade:

• Matt Barnes 2-years, $12M, leaves Memphis
• Anthony Tolliver 2-years, $16M exits Detroit
• Garrett Temple 3-years, $24M exits Wizards
• Arron Afflalo 2-years, $25M exits Knicks

Exiting Free Agents/traded: 

• Rajon Rondo 2-years $30M to Bulls
• Marco Belinelli  (trade)
• Seth Curry leaves for Dallas
• Quincy Acy has agreed to a 2-year minimum deal with Dallas

Waived:

• Caron Butler Exorcised Option
• Duje Dukan

More Free Agent News

Next: Updated Free Agency Report

Next: Free Agency Profiles for all 30 Teams

Due to the large Houston Rockets fan base, SCS is always looking to add new talent to our writing team. To that end, we’re looking for individuals with a specialized focus.  Specifically, the first area  is perfect for someone who constantly surfs for breaking news on injuries, trades, insider info. Consequently this individual would select top news items providing timely quick hits to keep SCS readers in the loop.

The other writer would possess an especially strong social media background and would like to interact with Clutch City Fans. Therefore this person will promote SCS team content on facebook and twitter. As a result the successful candidate will  make sure to promote the best content coming from H-Town fans. In conclusion, if you’re a budding writer who possesses these qualities vist the SCS link, and fill out an application.