5 Reasons Why Houston Rockets Fans Should Be Excited For 2014-15 Season

The Rockets quickly filled the void at the small forward position with the acquisition of defensive forward Trevor Ariza. The Rockets also added outside production with veteran shooting guard Jason Terry. If Patrick Beverly can step into the starting lineup and produce, the Rockets will once again be very lethal in the Western Conference.

Anytime the Rockets have a healthy Dwight Howard and James Harden on the court together consider them contenders. Despite losing small forward Chandler Parsons to their in-state rival Dallas Mavericks, the Rockets have a nice mix of role players to support their two superstars.

Hall of Fame player Kevin McHale returns as the head coach of the Rockets, and fans should appreciate the years of experience the former Celtic brings to the table. With a relatively healthy nucleus, McHale should once again coach the Rockets into the playoffs.

After a productive 2013-14 NBA season, James Harden spent his summer improving his game with Team USA. Look for Harden to display a much-improved post game and better decision-making after being coached by some of the best coaches the game has to offer.

With Dwight Howard fully healthy the sky is the limit for the Houston Rockets. If Howard can remain healthy for the entire season there's no reason the Rockets shouldn't be in a top team in the West. Can Howard still improve his offensive game? I'll go out on a limb and say a healthy Howard will win the 2014-15 Defensive Player of the Year award.