Remembering the time Josh Smith saved the Rockets’ season

With Houston Rockets fans being starved of NBA action, let’s take time to remember the time Josh Smith saved the Rockets’ season.

As the 2019-20 NBA season has come to a screeching halt, Houston Rockets fans have been deprived of Rockets action. Rockets fans to survive without getting their fix, as we all miss watching the Rockets play. Perhaps one of the best ways to satisfy the Houston Rockets fix would be to think back on the Rockets’ 2014-15 season, which produced surprising results and an unexpected hero.

During the 2014-15 season, the Houston Rockets had alot to look forward to. The Rockets were coming off of the first year of the Dwight Howard–James Harden pairing, and the tandem was successful during year one. In fact, both players made the All-Star team, and the Rockets went 54-28 that year, which is a much bigger accomplishment than it sounds like.

To put that into perspective, the Rockets only had one season in the previous 16 years in which they had that many victories, which is the reason for the optimism heading into the 2014-15 season. On top of that, then Rockets coach Kevin McHale was heading into his third season with James Harden and Harden’s player efficiency rating and true shooting percentage both improved year-over-year following his first two seasons under McHale.

Harden’s scoring and assist numbers improved during the 2014-15 season but Howard’s scoring and rebound numbers regressed a bit. But the Rockets added another fringe All-Star off the buyout market to join their star duo: Josh Smith.

Next: Smith in the Space City