Rockets' Second Team Key?

      There's a lot of talk about Dwight Howard and James Harden, but I think the Rockets' second team is the real story. The Rockets' possibly have the best backups in the NBA. You could probably tell in my last article I have really high expectations for the Rockets this year defensively. With 2 of the top defensive Centers in the league on the same team, the Rockets' defense has no choice but to improve dramatically.

     Patrick Beverley will bring his energy off the bench again this year. He's infamous for injuring Russell Westbrook when he should be famous for his ridiculous hustle and defensive effort. Bev has good court vision and rarely turns the ball over, which makes him one of the most valuable backup PGs in the league.

     Francisco Garcia is a poor man's Shane Battier, and an emotional player who obviously loves competition (based off what we saw in last year's playoff games vs OKC). He did a fantastic job guarding Kevin Durant, while being a game changer and giving the Rockets a ton of momentum in almost every game that he got playing time in last season . Garcia plays top notch defense and can knock down threes when open. I'm excited to have him back for another year.

     Terrence Jones proved in college and in the D-league that he can make things happen offensively and block shots at the other end. He averaged 19 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks a game in the D-leaue last season. He can dribble, knock down threes, and can post people up for an easy bucket. He's a mismatch for just about anyone. With decent playing time I think T-Jones can establish himself as a playmaker at the PF position.

     Marcus Camby is as solid as it gets at the Center position. Finally the Rockets will have a good defensive Center coming off the bench. In the 19 games that Camby played with the Rockets in 2011-2012, he averaged 7.1 pts, 9.3 reb, and 1.5 blk a game with limited playing time. With a defensive big man guarding the paint for all 48 minutes of the game, the Rockets will be very hard to beat this season.  I look forward to watching them hold teams under 100 points all year.

    It's still a little cloudy who will claim the backup SG position if Garcia comes in as the backup SF. If he grows out his beard, I would like to see Reggie Williams take the spot. You just can't stress the importance of a good beard. He's solid defensively and is a proven offensive force when given playing time. Any feedback would be appreciated. Go Rockets!