No. 3: Signing Dwight Howard
Though the Dwight Howard era ended in a relative whimper with the 41-41 season in 2015-16, after which he left in free agency for Atlanta, it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t a successful signing overall.
Prior to luring Howard, the Morey era in Houston had been remembered for its swings and misses, when it came to pursuing star players in free agency. (Remember the iPad pursuit of Chris Bosh?)
By contrast, landing the top free agent on the market in July 2013 put the Rockets on the map as a contender.
Dwight Howard has chosen to sign with the Houston Rockets, @USATODAYSports has learned. Story to come. – http://t.co/eNYYg63uJo
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 5, 2013
In the ensuing 2013-14 season, the Rockets improved from 45-37 to 54-28. During 2014-15, they won two more games and advanced to their first Western Conference Finals in 18 years, with “Playoff Dwight” playing a large role. In probably the most memorable game of his era, Howard had 20 points and 21 rebounds in Houston’s epic Game 6 comeback against the Clippers in the 2015 second round — with the Rockets facing elimination and down by 19 points in the second half.
Houston went on to win the series in seven games.
In three seasons as Houston’s starting center, Howard averaged 16.0 points (60.1% shooting), 11.7 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks in 32.2 minutes per game. He never took them to the championship that the downtown celebration upon his July 2013 arrival seemed to portend, but Howard was a big part of the franchise’s growth in the middle part of the decade.
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