Rockets 2019-2020 player previews: Danuel House

This time one year ago, Danuel House was playing out a non-guaranteed contract with the Warriors.

With a slim chance for the third-year pro to make the roster, he impressed in the preseason, auditioning for not just the Warriors, but for the league.

After the Warriors kicked him out of the house, his hometown Rockets welcomed him into theirs.

After signing a two-way deal, House made a little more than a quarter of a million dollars. I think it’s safe to say that the Rockets got a little more for what they bargained for in House.

House proved himself to be a serviceable replacement for Trevor Ariza, who left in free agency the previous summer. And he played in 39 contests for the Rockets last year, starting 13 and averaging 9.1 points per game while shooting north of 41 percent from deep.

Although he may not provide the same defensive presence Ariza brought, he was a superior distance shooter and a common resource for James Harden to turn towards.

House played with this unshaken confidence all season long — mainly because he was playing for his NBA life, but he certainly did enough to extend it. Over the summer, House signed a three-year contract worth just over $11 million. That means he will receive 1328.41 percent more this season than he did last season, one of the largest raises in the NBA.

But now that he has secured the bag, what does House need to do now?

There is concern that House could grow complacent now that he is no longer on the brink of an NBA roster, as was seen during the playoffs last spring, where he was largely ineffective.

House was battling injury in the postseason and lost the rhythm and swag he built during the regular season, and now it’s time for him to reclaim his mojo.

The reason why House works in the Houston offense is because he can do multiple things. He can shoot, he can defend, and he can slash. In transition, House will be huge for the Rockets, and that’s where a lot of his money will be earned this upcoming season.

With the addition of Russell Westbrook, the offense is bound to gain some speed and move at a quicker pace. This is fantastic for House, who will be on many fast breaks this season.

Last season, the Rockets were a bottom-five team in terms of pace at 97.8. However, with House on the floor last season, the team’s pace was slightly north of 100. Fifteen of 30 teams played at a pace of 100 or higher last season, and the Rockets want to land in that half of the league this season.

In this House, we will go at a faster pace.