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SB Nation: Rockets are sixth-most watchable NBA team

The Houston Rockets may not finish sixth in anything this year — perhaps sixth-to-last — except for in watchability. Mike Prada explains.

Thomas Campbell-US PRESSWIRE

One of the more intriguing basketball articles to come out every year, if you ask me, is Mike Prada's NBA Watchability rankings over at the Mothership. Watchability may not mean wins, but at least it counts for something.

The Rockets should be fun to watch this year given the many personalities, contrasts in style and untested talent on the roster. Looks like Prada agrees, as the Rockets ranked sixth in this year's rankings:

6. HOUSTON ROCKETS

Dominance: 4. This was at a 2 before the James Harden trade. Now, I think they can challenge for the playoffs.

WOW factor: 7. Harden gives this a one-point boost. Other guys to watch: Terrence Jones, Jeremy Lin and Royce White, if he plays.

Drama: 6.5. Hard to say how many tight games this team will play, but you can expect Harden and Lin to have the ball in their hands when those games happen. You saw how fun those games were for their respective teams last year.

Aesthetic Beauty: 9. Kevin McHale prefers a free-flowing offensive style and, with Harden and Lin, you can expect a ton of pick and rolls and lots of off-ball movement. Chandler Parsons is underrated in this regard. He does a lot to preserve Houston's style. If you really want to figure out how a role player should play, watch how he cuts and moves.

Intrigue: 10. This was high even before the trade for Harden, and it's even higher now.

Hilarity scale: +2. Add a point each for Omer Asik's attempts to play offense and anything White does when he plays.

TOTAL: 38.5. This was already slated to be a fun bad team before the shocking Harden trade. Now, they're going to be a really fun average team. Another club that users on the five-team plan must pick.

You can add a few more points to the hilarity scale if Toney Douglas reverts back to last year's form. Or if Cole Aldrich tries to shoot.