At least on the surface, the Houston Rockets wouldn't appear to have any issues rebounding the basketball. With Dwight Howard manning the middle and plenty of athletic players scattered across the roster, the Rockets should probably be a better rebounding team than they were last year.
That might not be the case, though. Here's more from SB Nation Blog The Dream Shake:
"This leaves the Rockets in an awkward position. They have two power forwards that they will be counting on for significant contribution in the upcoming season. One of them cannot rebound, and the other gives them up to the other team. Both will put the Rockets at a disadvantage at any given night without Dwight Howard keeping the rebound count afloat.
The problem is Dwight Howard as a shot-blocking threat, cannot account for every defensive rebound. Dwight Howard is also not guaranteed to play every game given his recent injury history (plus, he's suspended for the first game).
To complicate the matter, Terrence Jones and Donatas Motiejunas together, albeit in limited minutes, has been disastrous for defensive rebounding, giving up 31% offensive rebounds to the opposing team the past two seasons. Their production at their current price point makes them difficult to replace on a team with two max contracts in tow, so the Rockets are essentially stuck with this problem for the season. It is not enough of a disadvantage to hurt the regular season, but in the post season, every slight disadvantage can turn into a fatal flaw."
(h/t The Dream Shake)
