2013 Offseason and 2013 NBA Draft [0-0]

[Axel The Great]

Welcome to Axel.'s newest story! To nobody's surprise, I have decided to continue with the Rockets a third consecutive time. Why, you might ask? Well, I just don't see myself enjoying a story with any other team. Plus, the acquisition of James Harden really made this team highly appealing prior to the 2012-13 season. It is apparent, as one can see, that I'm a Rockets fan for life! So without further ado, let's carry on with the settings formalities.

Noteworthy/Miscellaneous Settings:
Game: NBA 2K13
Console: Playstation 3
Team: Houston Rockets
Roster: 2K's Default Roster, as of the end of the 2012-13 season*
Draft Class: Will use 2013 & 2014 real draft class players, 2015 and onward will be game-generated or out of my imagination

Association Settings:
Quarter Length: 12 minutes
Sim Quarter Length: 12 minutes
Season Length: 82 games
Playoff Format: 7-7-7-7
Team Chemistry: ON
Player Roles: ON
Trade Override: OFF**
Trade Deadline: ON
CPU Trades: ON
Preseason Games: OFF

Game Settings:
Difficulty: All-Star***
Sliders: Simulation, but with a few finishing touches of my own (available upon request)
Substitutions: Manual
Coaching: Manual
Late Game Fouls: Manual
Coach Mode: OFF^
Field Goals and Free Throws: Shot Stick Timing
Injuries: ON
Fatigue: ON
NBA Rules: Everything ON

* - I added/changed signature skills of many different players according to my experience from watching them play.
** - Will occasionally be switched to ON if I want to make a trade from real life.
*** - Subject to change.
^ - May sometimes switch it to ON if I'm on the right end of a blowout.

A few disclaimers and what you can expect from this story:
Fantasy: This association serves as something to divert me from reality. Whether the real-life Rockets plummet like this past season's Lakers or own the league and dethrone the Miami Heat, this association will serve as something for me to enjoy. However, introverted as I am, I always like to share my joy with others. That's one of the biggest reasons I write association stories.

Realism: Wait, how can there be realism if this is meant to be my "fantasy"? Well, you can expect to see a great degree of realism here. The realism here may divert a little from real life, but that would ultimately be 2K's sim engine giving me its own fantasy. What's in my control however, are the real games. Now, in the past I've received criticism that I win too much, in my first story to be exact. That criticism certainly was deserving, and I did what I could to fix that in my second story. In essence, I'd like for this to be as realistic as possible, but remember, sometimes I may be too caught up in my fantasy to bother worrying about realism.

Staggered Updates: I attend college full-time, and work part-time, so time is scarce in not just playing 2K13, but video games in general. I may provide the odd update every now and then, but with school in session, expect long periods of inactivity from me. As I get better with time management and breaking bad habits, I should be able to run along just fine, though.

Presentation: As mentioned in the previous point, my presentation will most likely be butchered since time will be scarce. Either way, whatever presentation I can put up that actually looks good, I hope you guys like it. Even when my presentation is at its best, it still doesn't do very well compared to others who have come before me or are running stories now. Still, I like to take pride in my work, best quality or not.

Behind-the-Scenes: One of the best things about running an association story on an internet forum is writing behind-the-scenes stories. This is another reason I write association stories, because I enjoy writing! The side stories I write will hopefully keep you hooked, as I can write some pretty hyperbolic chapters (see: my second story). I have a pretty good idea of how I will develop the behind-the-scenes stories here. And remember, nothing that happens in these behind-the-scenes stories is real or true, and if it is, it is just pure coincidence.

Draft Classes: As stated above, I will be using 2013 and 2014 real life draft classes, complete with Noel, Oladipo, Porter, and Wiggins, Parker, Randle, etc. These are draft classes I (hastily) downloaded from 2K Share, so I'm sorry I can't properly give credit. Worthy of noting is that the 2014 draft class I am currently working on to match mock drafts from NBAdraft.net and draftexpress.com. The draft classes from 2015 and on will all be players inclusive only in this universe. I will also be implementing NLSC rookies, more information on that to come in a few days.

So that's it, then! I hope that everyone reading this will certainly enjoy it, because it's going to be a fun (and staggered) ride! Oh yeah, and just in case you're wondering, DWIGHT HOWARD!

[Axel The Great]

NLSC Central

As I said above, I will be implementing NLSCers into this story. Starting with the 2014 draft class, readers will be able to fill out the application below and be able to join players such as Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker in the NBA. Do you think you have what it takes to roll with the pros?

If your answer is yes, fill out the following application, PM it to me, and you will be in. Please note however, that this time around I will give priority to the most active readers.

Code: Select all

[b]Name (first and last):[/b]
[b]Date of Birth:[/b]
[b]Position(s):[/b]
[b]School/From:[/b]
[b]Height:[/b]
[b]Weight:[/b]
[b]Jersey Number(s):[/b]
[b]Dominant Hand:[/b]
[b]Personality (Laid Back, Neutral, Expressive, Unpredictable):[/b]
[b]Body Type (Normal, Ripped):[/b]
[b]Skin Tone (1-6, 1 being the darkest, 6 being the lightest):[/b]
[b]5 Strengths:[/b]
[b]5 Weaknesses:[/b]
[b]3 Signature Skills:[/b]
[b]Playing Style:[/b]
[b]NBA Comparison:[/b]
[b]Physical Appearance:[/b]
[b]Other Stuff (tendencies, shot style, biography, etc.):[/b]


Credits to Lamrock, as this application is derived from his with minor adjustments. Depending on the number of applications I receive, the maximum number of NLSCers I may place in a draft class can be as high as 10, or as low as five. If you have any questions, let me know.

Also note: Those who submitted an application during my 2K11 story, I still have your information. If you'd like to use that information, let me know, but it would be preferable that you fill out this new application due to the differences in the two applications.

2014 Draft Class

1. Marcus Norberg (Vespasian92)
2. Liam Washburn (Lamrock)
3. Chris Hova (hova-)
4. Julian Martin (dare)
5. Chris Frazier (Khanwarrior)
6. Kennard Clark (Kennski)
7. Cubri Garnett (King Mellow)
8. Amadeus Pelayo (Stress Fracture)
9. (vacant)
10. (vacant)

[Axel The Great]

Up To Speed - 2012-13 Season and Off-season
2013 NBA Draft

[Axel The Great]

[hova-]

Nice one. Good to see you doing another story. This Rockets squad is definitely interesting, needless to say.

What about your other story? Are you going to continue the Playoffs?

Here's my form:

Name (first and last): Chris Hova
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): 2nd of June 1988
Position(s): SF/SG
School/From: Germany (Bayern Munich is the name of the club)
Height: 6-4 (heavily undersized SF)
Weight: 176 lbs
Jersey Number(s): 33
Dominant Hand: right
Personality (Laid Back, Neutral, Expressive, Unpredictable): laid back
Body Type (Normal, Ripped):ripped
Skin Tone (1-6, 1 being the darkest, 6 being the lightest): 5
5 Strengths: hustle, off. rebounding, hook shot, stealing, passing
5 Weaknesses:ball handling, off hand handling, shot of dribble, vertical, mid-range shot
3 Signature Skills: hustle point of rebounds, playing passing lanes, post playmaker
Playing Style:Undersized SF, who likes to go into the post and play passes from there or takes the hook shot. Other than that, hustle point off offensive boards. Defensively, a charge taker who loves to play the passing lane.
NBA Comparison: I don't know actually: maybe Adrian Dantley?
Physical Appearance: dark short hair, slight beard shade
Other Stuff (tendencies, shot style, biography, etc.): Newcomer from Bayern Munich, Germany's upcoming basketball club. A glue guy who likes to do the dirty work.

[dare]

I am actually intrigued by the Rockets upcoming team, even though I'm a Lakers fan. Goodluck man

Name (first and last): Julian Martin
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): 02/08/1993
Position(s): SG/PG
School/From: Philippines
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 190 lbs
Jersey Number(s): 10
Dominant Hand: right
Personality (Laid Back, Neutral, Expressive, Unpredictable): Neutral
Body Type (Normal, Ripped): Normal
Skin Tone (1-6, 1 being the darkest, 6 being the lightest): 6
5 Strengths: 3 point, Passing, Def Awareness, Mid range, Man Defense
5 Weaknesses: Vertical, Strength, Off hand dribble, Dunking, Inside Scoring
3 Signature Skills: Deadeye, Floor general, Dimer
Playing Style: Defensive
NBA Comparison: Bruce Bowen/ Sasha Vujacic
Physical Appearance: Asian w/ buzzcut lol
Other Stuff (tendencies, shot style, biography, etc.): Looking to be the first Filipino player to be drafted in the NBA. Lacks the athleticism to be really considered as an elite player but somehow find ways to contribute for his team. Good pesky defender and has good accuracy beyond the arc.

[Khanwarrior]

Name (first and last): Chris Frazier
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): 1/19/1992
Position(s): SF/PF/SG
School/From: Canada (Toronto to be exact)
Height: 6'8"
Weight: 220 lbs
Jersey Number(s): 11
Dominant Hand: right
Personality (Laid Back, Neutral, Expressive, Unpredictable): expressive
Body Type (Normal, Ripped): ripped
Skin Tone (1-6, 1 being the darkest, 6 being the lightest): 3
5 Strengths: hook shot, passing, three point shooting, man defence, rebounding
5 Weaknesses: mid-range, consistency, shot of dribble, stealing, off hand dribble.
3 Signature Skills: post playmaker, Deadeye, finisher
Playing Style: Point foward: prototypical SF from the physical standpoint. Loves to makes plays from the post, either the hook shot or the pass to the open man. Really solid rebounder who can make the open three. Uses his body really well to stay in front of his opponent.
NBA Comparison: Hedo Turkoglu/ Chris Webber
Physical Appearance: cornrows (with a headband) and goatee with a light beard shade.
Other Stuff (tendencies, shot style, biography, etc.): Grandson of great Walt Frazier, looks to be one of many upcoming good Canadian players. Solid all around but is a pretty gifted passer and low post player although undersized for the PF. Because of the low post skills, passing and solid outside shooting, he can play any position either SG/SF/PF. Would be a good player for a team whose looking for a versatile player.

[Its_asdf]

Interesting tidbit about the fantasy vs realism thing. Aren't the Houston Rockets expected to be contenders this year? I'd expect them to win a ton of games, haha.

[kennarding]

Name (first and last): Kennard Clark
Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY): 01/14/92
Position(s): SG
School/From: Philippines
Height: 6'5
Weight: 200 lbs.
Jersey Number(s): 7
Dominant Hand: Right
Personality (Laid Back, Neutral, Expressive, Unpredictable): Expressive
Body Type (Normal, Ripped): Normal
Skin Tone (1-6, 1 being the darkest, 6 being the lightest): 6
5 Strengths: 3 pt shooting, mid range shooting, on ball defense, passing, vertical
5 Weaknesses: ball handling, off hand dribble, strength, inside scoring, dunking,
3 Signature Skills: Spot- up shooter, Deadeye and Microwave
Playing Style: 3 Pt Specialist
NBA Comparison: Peja Stojakovic? / Ray Allen?
Physical Appearance: Buzz (black)
Other Stuff (tendencies, shot style, biography, etc.): likes to move off ball to get open and spot up. Unlimited Range. Shooting form: S. Curry, Shot Base: C. Paul

[Axel The Great]

Nice one. Good to see you doing another story. This Rockets squad is definitely interesting, needless to say.

What about your other story? Are you going to continue the Playoffs?

Thanks, hov. I am going to finish the playoffs and probably get through the offseason in my other story. Who knows, since I might get Anthony Davis, I might be inclined to pick it up at a later date.

I am actually intrigued by the Rockets upcoming team, even though I'm a Lakers fan. Goodluck man

Yeah, man. If James Harden doesn't make the team intriguing, Dwight Howard definitely does.

Interesting tidbit about the fantasy vs realism thing. Aren't the Houston Rockets expected to be contenders this year? I'd expect them to win a ton of games, haha.

More than likely, but there are some who would still rate San Antonio, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers, and even Golden State above them. A 50-win season is definitely feasible, and 60 wins is also possible if everything clicks into place.

On a side note, please PM me your NLSCer applications from now on.

[Martti.]

Trade Asik for Ryan Anderson and you'll win 65 games.

[Vespasian92]

Seems the main goal is finding the right players to compliment Harden and Howard. With that said, I'm interested to see if Casspi can regain some of the confidence he had at the beginning of his career in Sacramento. Are you planning to keep Lin and/or Asik around, or is it too early to tell?

[Axel The Great]

After revamping the majority of the roster in the offseason, the Houston Rockets started their 2012-13 campaign with completely new faces, namely James Harden, Jeremy Lin, and Omer Asik.

As the season progressed, things felt like a see-saw; the Rockets hovered on or around .500 until the All-Star break. Harden led the way for the Rockets, averaging 24.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.4 rebounds. Harden, along with Chandler Parsons, notably made their first All-Star appearance.

After the All-Star break, the Rockets went on a nice little roll, going 11-4 in the first 15 games after the break, and crossing the finish line with a 45-37 record. In what was a rather bottom-heavy season, the Rockets managed to land the fourth seed in the playoffs. Below are the season standings for the 2012-13 season:

East:
76ers 60-22
Heat 55-27
Bulls 50-32
Knicks 49-33
Wizards 49-33
Pacers 43-39
Celtics 41-41
Nets 39-43
-------------------
Cavaliers 38-44
Raptors 35-47
Pistons 34-48
Bucks 33-49
Bobcats 32-50
Hawks 30-52
Magic 25-57

West:
Thunder 58-24
Lakers 50-32
Nuggets 48-34
Clippers 47-35
Warriors 46-36
Rockets 45-37
Jazz 44-38
T-Wolves 40-42
--------------------
Spurs 40-42
Grizzlies 37-45
Trail Blazers 36-46
Mavericks 35-47
Hornets 32-50
Suns 30-52
Kings 29-53

Below are the 2012-13 regular season awards:

Scoring Leader: Carmelo Anthony (NYK) - 28.1 ppg
Rebounds Leader: Dwight Howard (LAL) - 11.8 rpg
Assists Leader: Goran Dragic (PHX) - 10.3 apg
Steals Leader: Goran Dragic (PHX) - 2.2 spg
Blocks Leader: JaVale McGee (DEN) - 2.2 bpg

Awards:
MVP: Kevin Durant (OKC) - 27.5 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 bpg, 48.7% FG, 39.4% 3P, 88.4% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
ROY: Damian Lillard (POR) - 17.8 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 spg, 48.8% FG, 36.3% 3P, 86.4% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
MIP: Goran Dragic (PHX) - 14.6 ppg, 10.3 apg, 4.7 rpg, 2.2 spg, 45.1% FG, 36.3% 3P, 68.1% FT, 77 GS, 78 GP
6th: Andray Blatche (BKN) - 9.8 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.0 bpg, 43.5% FG, 74.0% FT, 18 GS, 82 GP
DPOY: Dwight Howard (LAL) - 24.0 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 0.8 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.9 bpg, 59.2% FG, 49.1% FT, 76 GS, 77 GP
COY: Doug Collins (PHI) - 60-22

All-NBA Teams:
1st team:
G - Kyrie Irving (CLE) - 24.4 ppg, 7.5 apg, 5.1 rpg, 1.7 spg, 47.5% FG, 40.9% 3P, 81.5% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
G - Kobe Bryant (LAL) - 25.5 ppg, 5.6 apg, 5.5 rpg, 1.5 spg, 48.5% FG, 37.7% 3P, 82.5% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
F - Kevin Durant (OKC) - stats listed above
F - LeBron James 25.1 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 5.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.0 bpg, 52.7% FG, 39.7% 3P, 80.8% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
C - Dwight Howard (LAL) - stats listed above

2nd team:
G - James Harden (HOU) - 24.1 ppg, 6.4 apg, 4.4 rpg, 1.6 spg, 46.9% FG, 37.9% 3P, 88.1% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
G - John Wall (WAS) - 22.1 ppg, 8.2 apg, 4.0 rpg, 1.6 spg, 51.7% FG, 43.5% 3P, 85.0% FT, 81 GS, 81 GP
F - Carmelo Anthony (NYK) - 28.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 0.9 spg, 49.1% FG, 43.5% 3P, 82.6% FT, 73 GS, 74 GP
F - Kevin Love (MIN) - 24.9 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 bpg, 46.3% FG, 38.2% 3P, 82.5% FT, 79 GS, 80 GP
C - Al Jefferson (UTA) - 21.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.7 bpg, 55.4% FG, 77.3% FT, 75 GS, 78 GP

3rd team:
G - Russell Westbrook (OKC) - 24.7 ppg, 5.6 apg, 5.0 rpg, 1.9 spg, 50.5% FG, 39.6% 3P, 82.7% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
G - Brandon Jennings (MIL) - 22.1 ppg, 7.6 apg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 spg, 45.0% FG, 30.4% 3P, 82.7% FT, 76 GS, 76 GP
F - Blake Griffin (LAC) - 19.7 ppg, 11.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 56.0% FG, 51.1% FT, 58 GS, 58 GP
F - David Lee (GSW) - 18.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 2.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 52.0% FG, 83.4% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
C - Andrew Bynum (PHI) - 18.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.9 bpg, 58.1% FG, 72.1% FT, 67 GS, 70 GP

All-NBA Defensive 1st team:
G - Paul George (IND) - 15.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.6 spg, 46.1% FG, 38.8% 3P, 85.4% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
G - Andre Iguodala (DEN) - 12.6 ppg, 7.7 apg, 6.2 rpg, 1.7 spg, 47.6% FG, 38.5% 3P, 66.8% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
F - Anthony Davis (NOH) - 15.6 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 1.3 spg, 1.5 bpg, 50.0% FG, 69.0% FT, 75 GS, 77 GP
F - Kevin Durant (OKC) - stats listed above
C - Dwight Howard (LAL) - stats listed above

All-NBA Defensive 2nd team:
G - Dwyane Wade (MIA) - 23.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.5 spg, 52.8% FG, 76.3% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
G - Kyrie Irving (CLE) - stats listed above
F - LeBron James (MIA) - stats listed above
F - Paul Millsap (UTA) - 16.0 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.2 bpg, 48.6% FG, 78.7% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
C - Joakim Noah (CHI) - 8.4 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.7 bpg, 50.4% FG, 71.2% FT 65 GS, 66 GP

All-Rookie 1st team:
G - Damian Lillard (POR) - stats listed above
F - Anthony Davis (NOH) - stats listed above
F - Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (CHA) - 15.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.6 apg, 1.1 spg, 1.1 bpg, 47.3% FG, 72.6% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
F - Thomas Robinson (HOU) - 13.1 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 0.9 bpg, 45.5% FG, 66.3% FT, 82 GS, 82 GP
G - Bradley Beal (WAS) - 15.7 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.5 apg, 0.9 spg, 44.4% FG, 34.5% 3P, 74.3% FT, 60 GS, 60 GP

Rookie 2nd team:
G - Dion Waiters 15.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.3 spg, 47.3% FG, 37.9% 3P, 77.5% FT, 68 GS, 68 GP
C - Jonas Valanciunas 9.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 44.4% FG, 73.9% FT, 67 GS, 68 GP
F - Harrison Barnes 11.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.1 apg, 0.9 spg, 40.9% FG, 38.0% 3P, 70.7% FT, 74 GS, 82 GP
G - Austin Rivers 10.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 43.5% FG, 40.5% 3P, 63.7% FT, 6 GS, 82 GP
F - Joel Freeland 5.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 51.6% FG, 75.2% FT, 18 GS, 82 GP

Below are the 2013 playoffs results:

First Round:
East:
(8) Brooklyn Nets defeat (1) Philadelphia 76ers 4-3
(5) Washington Wizards defeat (4) New York Knicks 4-3
(6) Indiana Pacers defeat (3) Chicago Bulls 4-2
(2) Miami Heat defeat (7) Boston Celtics 4-1

West:
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder defeat (8) Minnesota Timberwolves 4-0
(4) Houston Rockets defeat (5) Los Angeles Clippers 4-3
(6) Golden State Warriors defeat (3) Denver Nuggets 4-1
(7) Utah Jazz defeat (2) Los Angeles Lakers 4-3

Second Round:
East:
(5) Washington Wizards defeat (8) Brooklyn Nets 4-3
(2) Miami Heat defeat (6) Indiana Pacers 4-2

West:
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder defeat (4) Houston Rockets 4-0
(6) Golden State Warriors defeat (7) Utah Jazz 4-3

Conference Finals:
(1) Miami Heat defeat (5) Washington Wizards 4-0
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder defeat (6) Golden State Warriors 4-2

2013 NBA Finals:
(1) Miami Heat defeat (1) Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1

The Rockets, after trailing the Los Angeles Clippers 3-1, bounced back to win three in a row and make their first second round appearance since 2009. However, they fell to a sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In what was a rematch of the 2012 NBA Finals, the outcome was the same: Miami over Oklahoma City in five games. The Miami Heat have won back-to-back NBA titles.

Despite being eliminated via sweep, the 2012-13 season was an encouraging one for the Rockets. Rockets fans now have to be very optimistic about where the team is headed. Also, with the prospect of being able to land the reigning Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard, excitement ran through the city of Houston in anticipation of Howard's decision. The Rockets cleared cap space to make enough room to sign him; the Rockets opted out of the contracts of Aaron Brooks, Patrick Beverley, James Anderson, Francisco Garcia, and Carlos Delfino. They only opted to pick up the team option on Chandler Parsons. That left a little over $20M in cap space.

The Rockets however, were not intent on only getting Howard this off-season. First they started off by trading the 16th overall pick in last year's draft, Royce White. White, who stated his fear of flying before the season began, had arrangements made for him to be driven around the country as an alternative to flying. Through GM Daryl Morey's solution to White's flying anxiety, he managed to play all 82 games for the Rockets. Despite this solution, the extra cost of hiring a chauffeur and paying for gas money was a thorn to the team's budget, and thus ties had to be severed. White, along with Houston's 2013 second round draft pick, was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for Quincy Pondexter and a 2014 first round draft pick.

During the draft, the Washington Wizards proposed a head-scratching deal that the Rockets did not hesitate to accept. The Washington Wizards traded their 11th overall pick and their 55th overall pick for Terrence Jones and Houston's 20th overall pick. With these picks, the Rockets drafted Victor Oladipo, who was shockingly still on the board, and Seth Curry. Oladipo adds solid depth at Houston's rather thin shooting guard position, and is the defensive stopper the Rockets need to get to the next level. Curry becomes a solid three-point threat, though he isn't expected to get much playing time.

The free agency period was very active, seeing big names such as Howard, Chris Paul, and Andre Iguodala change teams. The Rockets were able to successfully lure Howard to Houston, signing him for four years, $82.03 million. With that, the Rockets completed their ultimate goal of the 2013 off-season, despite the numerous teams Howard was considering. Howard is everything the Rockets need; an inside presence both offensively and defensively. Top that with the fact that he's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and Rockets fans have every reason to think the Rockets will be a team to be reckoned with in years to come.

The Rockets didn't just stop at Howard, though. They continued by signing Jarrett Jack for three years, $18.09 million. At that point, they ran out of cap space, but still had one more roster spot to fill. So, using the Mid-Level Exception, they signed Boris Diaw for one year, $490K and also Brendan Haywood for one year, $490K as an insurance backup big man.

Below is a list of all the off-season signings:

76ers sign Nick Young 4 yrs/$19.48M, Dorell Wright 4 yrs/$14.21M
Hornets sign Josh McRoberts 4yr/$5.13M, Nikola Pekovic 4yr/$30.94M, Byron Mullens 1yr/$3.29M
Bucks sign JJ Redick 3yr/$12.37 M, Samuel Dalembert 1yr/$891K, Mike Dunleavy 2yr/$1.08M, Brandon Jennings 4yr/$61.76M
Bulls sign Richard Hamilton 1yr/$1.43M, Daequan Cook 2yr/$2.87M, Chris Andersen 1yr/$490k
Cavaliers sign Wayne Ellington 3yr/$7.03M, Daniel Gibson 5yr/$9.23M, Omri Casspi 1yr/$3.31M, JR Smith 4yr/$43.65M
Clippers sign Willie Green 3yr/$1.66M, Vince Carter 1yr/$3.11M, Ray Allen 1yr/$2.35M, Jermaine O'Neal 2yr/$3.26M
Grizzlies sign Tony Allen 3yr/$3.26M, Austin Daye 1yr/$4.14M
Hawks sign Jeff Teague 4yr/$26.76M, Shelvin Mack 4yr/$6.81M, Stephen Jackson 1yr/$1.56M, Andray Blatche 4yr/$21.28M, Lamar Odom 1yr/$998k
Pelicans sign Robin Lopez 4yr/$14.04M, Darius Miller 4yr/$7.86M, Aaron Brooks 3yr/$20.84M
Jazz sign Chauncey Billups 1yr/$4.05M, Paul Millsap 4yr/$37.43M
Kings sign Delonte West 2yr/$5.98M, Cole Aldrich 1yr/$3.35M, James Johnson 1yr/$3.95, Toney Douglas 1yr/$3.10M
Knicks sign Elton Brand 2yr/$3.92M, Matt Barnes 2yr/$2.11M, Raja Bell 1yr/$490k
Lakers sign Antawn Jamison 1yr/$1.44M, Devin Ebanks 3yr/$4.11M
Magic sign Ben McLemore 4yr/$36.97M
Mavericks sign JJ Hickson 4yr/$31.97M, Chris Kaman 2yr/$5.97M, Rodrigue Beaubois 3yr/$15.37M, Leandro Barbosa 4yr/$9.20M, Patrick Mills 2yr/$5.18M, Kenyon Martin 1yr/$1.16M
Pacers sign DJ Augustin 3yr/$14.22M, Jeff Pendergraph 2yr/$2.11M
Pistons sign Nate Robinson 3yr/$17.66M, Chris Paul 4yr/$75.03M
Rockets sign Dwight Howard 4yr/$82.03M, Jarrett Jack 3yr/$18.09M, Boris Diaw 1 yr/$490k, Brendan Haywood 1 yr/$490k
Spurs sign DeJuan Blair 5yr/$27.83M, Gary Neal 2yr/$2.09M, David West 2yr/$13.95M
Trail Blazers sign Luke Babbitt 1yr/$2.66M
Timberwolves sign Chase Budinger 1yr/$1.38M
Wizards sign Martell Webster 3yr/$6.75M, Andre Iguodala 4yr/$41.42M

So with the 2013 off-season in the books, here is what Houston's current roster looks like:

PG: Jeremy Lin | Jarrett Jack
SG: James Harden | Victor Oladipo | Seth Curry
SF: Chandler Parsons | Quincy Pondexter
PF: Thomas Robinson | Boris Diaw | Donatas Motiejunas
C: Dwight Howard | Omer Asik | Brendan Haywood

Bearing in mind the Rockets' trades and free agent acquisitions, on paper, this looks like a solid team with decent depth. If the Rockets would like to add more depth, they have expendable assets such as Asik and Lin that could potentially bring pieces that make the Rockets automatic contenders. It's also nice knowing that the Rockets have two first round draft picks in next year's highly anticipated 2014 draft. Either way, anything short of a 50-win season for this team would be a disappointment. With the start of the 2013-14 regular season just around the corner, the start of the Howard-Harden era will also begin.

[Axel The Great]

Lottery Picks:
1. Anthony Bennett, SF/PF, UNLV, 6'7", 240 lbs.
After lucking into the first overall pick, the Phoenix Suns made an unexpected selection in Anthony Bennett. The 6-7 forward out of UNLV will bring rebounding and athleticism to the roster. However, at only 6'7, Bennett is inherently undersized for his natural position at power forward. Although Bennett brings a lot to the table, it's really not the pick Phoenix should've made. They've got an abundance of forwards already, such as Luis Scola, Michael Beasley, and the twins Marcus and Markieff Morris.

2. Trey Burke, PG, Michigan, 6'1", 190 lbs.
Another questionable pick here for two reasons. One, the Charlotte Hornets already have a point guard of the future in Kemba Walker, and two, they took on a point guard very early on in the draft when they could have used shooting guard or a big man. Regardless, Burke is arguably the best point guard in this draft. The Hornets may have sold on him after he led the Michigan Wolverines to the 2013 NCAA Final.

3. Rudy Gobert, C, France, 7'2", 238 lbs.
The past two picks may have been questionable, but this pick is probably the most questionable so far. Gobert has the size to compete in the NBA, but he's not one of the top big men prospects in this draft and was projected to go late in the first round. He is mobile and reliable in the post, but will need to add weight to be able to withstand the physicality of the NBA's bigs down low. Even after having lucked out of the first overall pick, the Magic still had viable options, but Gobert was not one of them.

4. CJ McCollum, PG/SG, Lehigh, 6'3", 197 lbs.
Boston trade for Sacramento's first round pick during the season, and despite having the second-best odds at the first overall pick, they lucked out and dropped to fourth. The selection of McCollum further raises the buzz of trade rumors involving Rajon Rondo. McCollum, having done four years in college, is mature enough to play at the next level. His leadership is also unquestionable, being able to carry the small school of Lehigh to relevance. However, he is not the best replacement for Rondo assuming they look to trade him. Scouts say he will develop into more of a combo guard.

5. Otto Porter, SF, Georgetown, 6'9", 200 lbs.
Surprisingly, Porter was still on the board, and the Hawks swooped in and snatched him up. Porter is considered one of the best players in this draft, so this pick was ideal for Atlanta. He has the length, but not yet the strength, to compete defensively in the NBA. A good scorer with great rebounding and good passing skills, we could be looking at the steal of the draft here.

6. Nerlens Noel, PF/C, Kentucky, 6'11", 206 lbs.
For a long time, Noel was projected to go number one overall in this draft, but after the season-ending ACL injury, teams questioned his long-term health. It's really no surprise to see him drop, but it is a surprise to see the Pelicans take him. The Pelicans already have last year's first overall pick Anthony Davis as their big man of the future. Either Noel is going to be traded, or New Orleans is looking to become a block party.

7. Cody Zeller, PF/C, Indiana, 7'0", 230 lbs.
Zeller is one of the best big men prospects in this draft, so Milwaukee adds to their frontcourt depth. Offensively, he should have no problem being able to compete. The question is on the defensive end. He isn't a prominent shot blocker, but that's okay, because Milwaukee already has Larry Sanders to do the shot-blocking for them.

8. Alex Len, C, Maryland, 7'1", 255 lbs.
With this pick Detroit adds additional frontcourt depth, one that could be deemed unnecessary. Pistons fans are sold on Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, who could turn out to be a deadly big man duo. A forward would have served Detroit better, but ultimately they took the best big man available.

9. Mason Plumlee, PF, Duke, 6'11", 238 lbs.
Dallas banks on Plumlee very early on. Plumlee is a tremendous athlete that adds solid frontcourt depth. Aside from highlight plays and put-backs, Plumlee probably won't be able to contribute much on offense early on. If the Mavericks wanted a big man, they should've gone with Steven Adams, since Plumlee doesn't have much upside.

10. Steven Adams, C, Pittsburgh, 7'0", 255 lbs.
Adams could be the shot-blocking big man that the Raptors need and since the Mavericks passed on him, Toronto happily takes him at 10th overall.

Trade:
Portland Trail Blazers trade: 11th overall pick, Will Barton
Washington Wizards trade: 25th overall pick, Nene

Trade:
Washington Wizards trade: 11th overall pick, 55th overall pick
Houston Rockets trade: 20th overall pick, Terrence Jones

11. Victor Oladipo, SG/SF, Indiana, 6'4", 213 lbs.
Lucking into an offer they couldn't refuse, the Rockets immediately snatched up Oladipo. With Oladipo's strong work ethic, he'll be a solid contributor to Houston's offense, and will bring a defensive mentality to an otherwise offense-oriented team. It is shocking indeed that Oladipo was available after 10 picks, but the Rockets aren't worried about that.

12. Dennis Schroeder, PG, Germany, 6'2", 168 lbs.
Schroeder wasn't projected to go in the lottery, but he is expected to have tremendous upside. However, Memphis probably isn't the best team for him to be on, since the Grizzlies already have Michael Conley as their franchise point guard.

13. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Syracuse, 6'6", 185 lbs.
This draft has a decent amount of promising point guards, and Carter-Williams is one of them. Cleveland, despite having two promising guards in Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters, opts to select Carter-Williams. At 6'6", Carter-Williams is very tall for his position, and if he develops his jumpshot, could end up playing a combo-guard role in Cleveland.

14. Shabazz Muhammad, SF, UCLA, 6'6", 226 lbs.
The 1997 NBA Draft was the last time the San Antonio Spurs were in the lottery. Not too surprising either, if you look at who they drafted with the first overall pick: Tim Duncan. Now, the Spurs have the last pick in the lottery. The Spurs are known to build their teams through the draft, and Muhammad looks to be no exception. Muhammad is a solid athlete, great defender, and plays with fire. He'll add solid bench depth in San Antonio. The Spurs must definitely be hoping this is the last time they visit the draft lottery for a while yet.

Rest of the First Round:

15. SF - Solomon Hill (BKN)
16. C - Kelly Olynyk (MIN)
17. C - Gorgui Dieng (BOS)
18. SF - Giannis Antetokounmpo (IND)
19. SF/PF - Andre Roberson (UTA)
20. SF/PF - Tony Mitchell (WAS)
21. PG - Shane Larkin (GSW)
22. SG/SF - Reggie Bullock (LAC)
23. SG - Ricardo Ledo (DEN)
24. PG - Raul Neto (NYK)
25. C - Jeff Withey (POR)
26. PG - Myck Kabongo (LAL)
27. PF/C - Alex Oriakhi (CHI)
28. PF/C - Lucas Nogueira (OKC)
29. SF - CJ Leslie (PHI)
30. SF/PF - Livio Jean-Charles (MIA)

Second Round:

31. PG - Isaiah Canaan (ORL)
32. SG - Ben McLemore (SAC)
33. SG - Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (PHX)
34. SG/SF - Sergey Karasev (ATL)
35. PG/SG - Lorenzo Brown (NOH)
36. SG - Glen Rice Jr. (CHA)
37. PG - Pierre Jackson (MIL)
38. PG/SG - Erick Green (DET)
39. SG/SF - Jamaal Franklin (TOR)
40. SG/SF - James Ennis (DAL)
41. SG - Alex Abrines (POR)
42. SG - Archie Goodwin (MEM)
43. SG - Brandon Paul (CLE)
44. SG/SF - Tony Snell (BKN)
45. SG - DJ Stephens (MIN)
46. PF - Grant Jerrett (SAS)
47. PF/C - Mike Muscala (BOS)
48. SG - BJ Young (IND)
49. SF - James Southerland (UTA)
50. PG/SG - Nemonja Nedovic (MEM)
51. SG - Tim Hardaway Jr. (GSW)
52. SF/PF - DeShaun Thomas (BOS)
53. SG/SF - Carrick Felix (DEN)
54. PG - Ray McCallum (ORL)
55. SG - Seth Curry (HOU)
56. PG - Nate Wolters (LAL)
57. SG - Vander Blue (CHI)
58. PG - Phil Pressey (MIA)
59. PF/C - Dewayne Dedmon (OKC)
60. PF - Jackie Carmichael (TOR)

Trades:

76ers trade: '13 2nd round pick, '14 1st round pick
Raptors trade: Jamaal Franklin

Knicks trade: '13 2nd round pick, '14 1st round pick
Magic trade: Isaiah Canaan, '14 2nd round pick

[Axel The Great]

Trade Asik for Ryan Anderson and you'll win 65 games.

That's something I'm strongly considering at the moment.

Seems the main goal is finding the right players to compliment Harden and Howard. With that said, I'm interested to see if Casspi can regain some of the confidence he had at the beginning of his career in Sacramento. Are you planning to keep Lin and/or Asik around, or is it too early to tell?

As you can see from my recent update, I'm already beginning to divert from reality. Casspi was retained by the Cavs, but at some point, I may try to acquire him. As I said to Martti., I'm strongly considering trading Asik or Lin, preferably Lin, but at this point I'm uncertain about what I need. As the season progresses, it will become much clearer to me what the team needs are, and once I find a good deal, I will pull the trigger.

I will now shift to my other story to try and finish the playoffs. In the meantime, feel free to hype and speculate!

Oh, and reminder: there are still about five spots open for the 2014 draft class. Be sure to PM me your applications at any time, but remember that the most active readers here and from my past stories will get priority.

[hova-]

Good job grabbing Oladipo. Your roster looks pretty decent, trading Lin or Asik should help you bolster your weaknesses even more. Bad moves by my Mavs. Drafting Plumlee ... should have gone with Oladipo instead.

Nice write-up!

[Its_asdf]

Oladipo is a nice pick up, but unless he plays a bit of point (which I think he's not very suited for) I'm not sure if he'll make any significant impact. Good project player to groom for the future though.

And if there's one team that can maximize Shabazz's potential it's San Antonio. Hopefully he can not be an idiot in this association, unlike his real life counter part.

[Axel The Great]

Good job grabbing Oladipo. Your roster looks pretty decent, trading Lin or Asik should help you bolster your weaknesses even more. Bad moves by my Mavs. Drafting Plumlee ... should have gone with Oladipo instead.

Nice write-up!

Thanks, hov! I had to read and re-read that deal the Wizards offered me, it was too good to be true! I was surprised the Mavs took Plumlee, Oladipo would have been the better option, but 2K13's draft logic isn't exactly intelligent either.

Oladipo is a nice pick up, but unless he plays a bit of point (which I think he's not very suited for) I'm not sure if he'll make any significant impact. Good project player to groom for the future though.

And if there's one team that can maximize Shabazz's potential it's San Antonio. Hopefully he can not be an idiot in this association, unlike his real life counter part.

I plan on playing Oladipo mostly at the 2 and a little at the 3. He won't play a big role in the offense early on, I'm counting more on his defense.

I really like San Antonio's pick; I think Muhammad could end up developing like Kawhi Leonard for them.

[rise]

Trade Lin and Asik for a multi-talented forward and run Harden and VO at the guard spots.

Howard/______/Parsons/Oladipo/Harden would be crazy.

[Its_asdf]

I think Oladipo is about 6'4, he might be a bit undersized for the 3 but he's probably got the athleticism to compensate for it against certain matchups. I always viewed him as more of a combo guard since Orlando experimented with him a bit at the 1 in Summer League, but finding a nice back-up for Parsons is a pretty big need at the moment.

[Martti.]

Very solid roster, great job getting Oladipo. I'd shed Asik and/or Robinson to get a stretch 4 and a SF with size, who can shoot, Oladipo played mostly at point in the Summer League, as Its_asdf said, not sure about him playing at the 3. Get someone like Dudley or Dorell Wright as the back-up three, solid defenders who are knock-down shooters.

Looking to get a similar line-up myself with possibly getting J-Smoove, he can space the floor a little bit for Dwight, def better then Robinson, who can't.

[Stress Fracture]

Dammit, disregard my reply on your other story. Count me in!

PM sent!

[Alpha_]

Axel., I've also sent you a PM, man. Count me in too.

[Axel The Great]

Trade Lin and Asik for a multi-talented forward and run Harden and VO at the guard spots.

Howard/______/Parsons/Oladipo/Harden would be crazy.

I'm looking at all the possibilities, and trading for a versatile forward would be ideal. Also, I'd like to get a 2014 1st round draft pick out of it.

I think Oladipo is about 6'4, he might be a bit undersized for the 3 but he's probably got the athleticism to compensate for it against certain matchups. I always viewed him as more of a combo guard since Orlando experimented with him a bit at the 1 in Summer League, but finding a nice back-up for Parsons is a pretty big need at the moment.

Yep, playing Oladipo at the 3 would just be temporary, since I don't need him at PG because I have Lin and Jack both playing heavy minutes at that spot. Not to mention Oladipo probably won't play any more than 15 minutes per game.

Very solid roster, great job getting Oladipo. I'd shed Asik and/or Robinson to get a stretch 4 and a SF with size, who can shoot, Oladipo played mostly at point in the Summer League, as Its_asdf said, not sure about him playing at the 3. Get someone like Dudley or Dorell Wright as the back-up three, solid defenders who are knock-down shooters.

Looking to get a similar line-up myself with possibly getting J-Smoove, he can space the floor a little bit for Dwight, def better then Robinson, who can't.

Thanks, Martti. As rise said, a versatile forward is what I should be looking for, and I'd also like to hit big on next year's draft; I already have two first round picks, so one more and I'll be in really good shape to snag at at least one good player.

I'm a little hesitant about trading Robinson, though. He has a good potential rating, and in-game, he just seems to get every rebound and gets a ton of second chance points thanks to his signature skills. I'm more inclined to trade Lin and Asik, since Jack and Howard can easily replace the services of both, respectively.

Dammit, disregard my reply on your other story. Count me in!

PM sent!

Axel., I've also sent you a PM, man. Count me in too.

Thanks for your input, guys. You guys are both in!

[Alpha_]

Axel., Thanks a lot!