Houston Rockets need to target an offensive big man

08:34 PM ET 01.23 | Thanks to a seven-game losing streak, the blueprint for how to beat this young Houston Rockets team is crystal clear: a) Get back on defense to stop the fast break, b) Clog the lane with bigs and shut down penetration, c) Let them launch contested threes all night long, d) On offense, penetrate the lane, and e) Hustle and get offensive boards. This normally results in forcing the Rockets to play a half-court game on offense. James Harden usually ends up driving the lane and forcing a difficult shot against three defenders or creating a turnover. If he does kick the ball out, someone is always there to brick a contested three-point shot. It is obvious that half-court offense is the Rockets' biggest weakness. They simply do not have a big man who is currently capable of consistently creating an offensive presence. No team is the least bit concerned about Harden or Jeremy Lin feeding the ball inside to someone who can beat them. I had the great fortune of catching a replay of Game 7 of the 1994 NBA Finals last night on NBA TV. It was incredible to relive the past and watch Hakeem Olajuwon and company earn Houston its first ever professional sports championship. Memories of those days tend to fade, but the replay reinforced my assessment of the 2013 Rockets' issues. What shocked me immediately was how insane the crowd was, when the score was only 4-2! It was mayhem throughout the game. As I watched and reacquainted myself with 1990's culture and style, something else stood out: Even beyond Hakeem, the 1994 Houston Rockets were physically intimidating.

Space City Scoop