30 Teams in 30 Days: Houston Rockets

Our "30 Teams in 30 Days" series is off to Texas this weekend, where we will preview three teams in the state over the next three days.  We begin this installment by starting things off in Houston, where the Houston Rockets are out to prove to the rest of the league that they can compete in a tough Western Conference and Southwest Division.

Last season's record: 54-28(4th in Western Conference; 2nd in Southwest Division; Lost to POR in 1st Round 4-2)

Head Coach: Kevin McHale(4th season with HOU, 172-152 overall; 133-97 with HOU)

Arena: Toyota Center(18,023)

Website: Rockets.com

Last season, the Rockets knew that they wanted to either "Go Big or Go Home", and General Manager Daryl Morey decided to go big, way big, and landing Dwight Howard to join James Harden and a talented Rockets squad that has been building well year after year since Kevin McHale was hired as Rockets head coach back in June of 2011, and last year was no exception.  Houston finished a solid 4th in the Western Conference, and second in the Southwest Division, setting up a showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers in Round 1, a series that saw Damian Lillard's dramatic buzzer beater in Game 6, that broke the hearts of Rockets fans, as Portland won the series 4-2.

Now, with a new season on the horizon for the Rockets, Houston must find a way to have most of their team stay together, now that Chandler Parsons has joined the Dallas Mavericks, but the main focus is on of course, Dwight Howard, who wants to settle some "Unfinished Business" in his second season in a Rockets uniform, as he and the rest of the players on the roster hope that their quest to settle some "Unfinished Business" pays off this season in Houston.

Upcoming team previews in the "30 Teams in 30 Days" series:

• Saturday: San Antonio Spurs
• Sunday: Dallas Mavericks
• Monday: Oklahoma City Thunder
• Tuesday: Denver Nuggets