The Houston Rockets may have been bounced early from the playoffs this year, but they were able to put together another strong regular season in 2018-19.
There are areas they can improve upon, even though there were individuals who had immense success.
Rockets Wire is reviewing each player, starter or second unit, to recap the Rockets’ season.
Danuel House
The 25-year-old shooting guard flashed signs of skill throughout the season, both with the Rockets and with the team’s G League affiliate the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
With the Rockets in 2018-19, he had career highs in games played (39), games started (13), minutes per game (25.9), field goal percentage (45.7), three-point percentage (41.6), rebounds per game (3.6), steals per game (.5), blocks per game (.3) and points per game (9.4).
House, though he had a very rough postseason, just needs to be developed more and he could certainly prove to be a valid part of the team. That, obviously, would require the Rockets re-signing him, as he’s a restricted free agent.
The fan favorite especially showed why he could be so valuable during the months of December, January and February, when he was called up from the G League when the Rockets were seriously struggling.
What House has that is so valuable is simple: athleticism and shooting range. He also is a solid defender of wings due to his size and speed. However, he does struggle inside of the basket and fails to get rebounds that the Rockets often really need.
Further, his lack of production when the team needed him most — i.e. losing to the Warriors — can’t be overlooked.
But, House is proof that the Rockets could get a big return if they spend time developing him. Maybe another stint in the G League to start next season if they resign him? Houston is known for not developing their younger players, but the team’s stars in James Harden (almost 30), Chris Paul (34), Eric Gordon (30) and P.J. Tucker (34) are getting older. So why not start that process now?
We are giving House a B- for the 2018-19 season.
