Jeremy Lin, Dwight Howard and James Harden: How Houston Rockets' New Big 3 Will Perform In NBA 2013-14 Season

With the arrival of Dwight Howard in Houston, the Rockets all of a sudden boast a solid young trio of Howard, James Harden and Jeremy Lin. But with so many adjustments to deal with during training camp, it's interesting to know how the Rockets' new triumvirate will perform next season.

Weighing Howard's presence alone, the Rockets have already found the missing piece that will help them raise their game to another level - and that is a dominant big man. No offense to Omer Asik, who has been a solid pickup for the Rockets last summer, but Howard brings another element to the table.

The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Howard will be a force in the middle for the Rockets next season. His ability to draw defenders on the shaded lane will allow shooters surrounding him to have all the time in the world to make their shots from the perimeter. On defense, Howard is simply an intimidating beast inside. According to Grantland analyst Kirk Goldsberry, when Howard is within five feet of the hoop, opponents are 10 percent less likely to shoot from the inside.

Meanwhile, Harden will most likely improve his game after a breakout year which saw the first-time NBA All-Star averaging 25.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. The 2013-2014 season will surely be another All-Star year for a player that is steadily becoming the top off-guard in the league.

But the player that would benefit the most from Howard is Lin.

Lin averaged 13.4 points and 6.1 assists in 32.2 minutes per game in the regular-season and didn't play well in the playoffs. However, statistics shows Lin will have a better output next year with Howard on the floor. This is primarily because Howard is way better pick-and-roll finisher than Asik. Last season, Howard converted 80 percent of his shot attempts off a pick-and-roll plays while Asik only made 58 percent coming off a roll, according to Synergy Sports statistics.

If Lin has more opportunities to execute the Rockets' bread-and-butter play, it could dramatically improve his assists average from six to eight dimes per ball game. Moreover, an improved outside shooting for Lin may help him increase his points per game to 15 points - which is solid, given that Harden and Howard will have the lions' share of the offensive pie.

Assuming everything works well next season, Lin could produce at least 15 points and eight assists per ball game - the kind of statline Steve Nash had during his time with the Dallas Mavericks (1998-2003).  

Indeed, the Rockets could look very close to the Mavs of old when Nash, Michael Finley and Dirk Nowitzki formed the team's "Big 3." The only difference is the Rockets are going to be better defensively, but the offense will be as explosive as the Mavericks' run-and-gun offense orchestrated by Don Nelson in that era.

Putting all things together, the Rockets trio could perform like this next season: Howard (20 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 blocks), Harden (26 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds) and Lin (15 points, 8 assists, and 2 steals).

Chandler Parsons, which is considered one of the brightest young players today, will give the Rockets that extra scoring punch. The former Florida Gators standout averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists last season and he's expected to provide this kind of statistical line next year.

All in all, the Rockets will be a scary good team to deal with. The team seems to have all of the weapons necessary to thrive on both ends and it's all up for the coaching staff to make it work.