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Houston Rockets
Overall: 80
Title track: 70
Ownership: 66
Coaching: 112
Players: 114
Fan relations: 77
Affordability: 67
Stadium experience: 64
Bang for the buck: 64
Change from last year: -45
At the beginning of last season, expectations were high for the Rockets players and fans, after the team made the Western Conference finals in 2015. But an 0-3 start and the firing of coach Kevin McHale 11 games into the season led to a downward spiral. In the end, the off-court drama between James Harden and Dwight Howard got more play than the on-court product. The Rockets were a mess the entire season, and they dropped 45 spots in these standings.
What's good
The Toyota Center remains one of the nicest arenas in the league and maybe in all of sports. Its spacious concourses, nice sightlines and variety of entertainment (from the Rockets Power Dancers to Clutch the mascot, who has a sidekick who pops out of a garbage can to distract free throw shooters) give the Rockets a nice feel. The overall stadium experience dropped 28 spots from last year, but at 64th, it still represented, along with bang for the buck, the Rockets' best showing in these rankings.
What's bad
Many fans and reporters expected the Rockets (who ranked 25th in opponents' points per game last year) to selected a defensive-minded coach such as Jeff Van Gundy to take over from interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Instead, team owner Leslie Alexander went with Mike D'Antoni, a noted offensive coach, and Alexander seemed almost in defensive mode at the introductory press conference in May. Fans didn't love the move; the Rockets' coaching rank is down 44 spots this year, all the way to 112nd. Alexander's reasoning, which might or might not convince Houston faithful this year? He wanted to play an up-tempo style with 3-pointers galore, so here comes D'Antoni.
What's new
When Dwight Howard left the Rockets in free agency this summer, the team signed Ryan Anderson, Eric Gordon and Nene as new partners for Harden. From a national perspective, Harden gets negative press for his beard, style of play and overall aloofness. But his teammates know he has a nice sense of humor, and his game is probably underappreciated. Without the joyful Howard, however, many fans don't believe the Rockets upgraded the talent around Harden. Houston dropped 62 spots in players, and now only three NBA teams rank worse. Most of the pessimism centers around Anderson and Gordon, two players who will be expected to produce but who have struggled with their health the past few years.
Next: Washington Wizards | Full rankings