Rockets hoping injuries won’t be a factor this season

The Houston Rockets won 56 games and reached the Western Conference Finals last season.

But once they got there, they were missing a couple of key players to injuries that cost them a chance of defeating the Golden State Warriors.

The Rockets are hoping the injury bug won’t bite them this season. But so far, they haven’t received their wish.

Backup center-power forward Donatas Motiejunas is still trying to recovery from back surgery, which forced him to miss the final 11 regular-season games and the entire playoffs last season.

Center Dwight Howard endured injuries to both knees and missed 41 games last season, and also was sidelined for the final seven preseason games this month with tightness in his lower back.

In addition, starting point guard Patrick Beverley missed the last three weeks of the season and the entire playoffs with a left wrist injury. And starting power forward Terrence Jones missed 41 games with a peroneal nerve contusion.

Whenever he’s ready to play, Howard will serve a one-game suspension due to excessive flagrant fouls that he incurred during the 2015 postseason.

But the huge trade this summer for Denver’s Ty Lawson gives the Rockets a potent backcourt that also includes James Harden, Jason Terry and Beverley.

Three things to watch

1. Will Dwight Howard play at least 80 games? Howard played all 82 games in five of his first six seasons. But multiple injuries have kept him sidelined a lot in recent years. That includes last season when Howard missed 41 games. And now, Howard enters the regular season after missing the last seven preseason games with tightness in his lower back.

2. Can James Harden have another MVP-type season? The bearded one has ascended to becoming one of the game’s best players. Last year Harden averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and seven assists per contest while finishing runner-up to Stephen Curry for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. Harden displayed his all-around skills and abilities last season when he finished with four triple-doubles.

3. What type of impact will Ty Lawson have? After the point guard was arrested twice in a seven-month period on suspicion of driving under the influence, the Denver Nuggets traded him to the Rockets. Lawson averaged 15.2 points and 9.6 assists per game last season for the Nuggets. He has the ability to not only fluidly run an offense, but also get off his shot and attack the basket.

This story was originally published October 25, 2015 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Rockets hoping injuries won’t be a factor this season."