The Houston Rockets signed Luc Mbah a Moute late in free agency. What can the veteran forward add to the roster this season?

Although the signing of Luc Mbah a Moute didn’t happen until the middle of July, it is still a very important acquisition for the Houston Rockets. The Rockets’ bench depth was depleted in the Chris Paul trade (having traded four rotational players), and they needed to rebuild their depth for the grind of the regular season and (ideally) a long playoff run.

First there was the signing of P.J. Tucker. Then Nene was re-signed. Then a couple of days earlier, Houston agreed to sign Tarik Black. And finally, they agreed to add Luc Mbah a Moute.

The most important similarity in all of those signings is that all four of those players are (for the most part) defensive-minded, especially Tucker and Mbah a Moute.

Michael Scotto reported that Mbah a Moute will sign for the veteran’s minimum on a one-year deal, which is incredible value for Houston. Mbah a Moute declined a $2.3 million player option to enter free agency this season, and the Rockets were actually able to sign him for even less money at $2.1 million.

Again, don’t be fooled by the date of this signing. Just because it occurred after things calmed down in free agency doesn’t mean it won’t be very important for Houston next season. Mbah a Moute will turn 31 before the 2017-18 season starts, but he’s still a very good defender and is coming off a career shooting year.

Last year, he posted a 1.6 defensive box plus-minus and was ninth in the league among power forwards in Defensive Real Plus-Minus, posting a 2.32. Mbah a Moute is a very versatile defender, and at 6’8″ he is able to guard a variety of positions, from guards to power forwards.

The defensive lineups that the Rockets can throw out at teams are now nearly endless. Mbah a Moute can play power forward alongside Nene or Clint Capela, small forward alongside Ryan Anderson, or even at center in small-ball lineup (with Ariza and Tucker filling out the frontcourt).

Just look at Mbah a Moute’s defense in a February game against the San Antonio Spurs in which he was tasked with primarily guarding Kawhi Leonard but also switching onto LaMarcus Aldridge:

Mbah a Moute forces Leonard into tough shot after tough shot, stands his ground against Aldridge and forces a couple of turnovers on both players. That is how you play excellent defense against two very skilled offensive players.

Last season the Rockets only had Trevor Ariza to throw at big guards and forwards. Of course, playing tough defense on the elite offensive players takes a toll on someone. Now Houston can throw Ariza, Tucker or Mbah a Moute at such players, while having Chris Paul and Clint Capela surrounding them.

Turning to the offensive side of his game, Mbah a Moute could be a stranglehold on Houston’s offense with his limited shooting or ball-handling. To say Mbah a Moute relies on other players to create open looks for him would be an understatement. For his career, 70.4 percent of Mbah a Moute’s two-point field goals and 97.9 percent of his three-pointers have been assisted on.

However, looking at his shooting, there is reason for optimism. Even though he is a career 32.4 percent shooter from beyond the arc, last season Mbah a Moute shot a career high 39.1 percent on three-pointers.

More importantly, Mbah a Moute shot 41.5 percent on corner three-pointers last season, which is where he will receive the most open looks in Houston. Last season, corner three-pointers accounted for 74.5 percent of his total attempts from beyond the arc.

In recent seasons, Trevor Ariza has feasted on quality looks on corner threes (hitting nearly 41 percent of such shots), something that Mbah a Moute can also do this season.

With the Rockets bench now consisting of Eric Gordon, Tucker, Mbah a Moute, and Nene (with Tarik Black filling in at backup center on some nights), it will be interesting to see the rotations that Mike D’Antoni comes up with, especially when it relates to playing both Tucker and Mbah a Moute together.

For their careers, Mbah a Moute has played 58 percent of his minutes at power forward, while Tucker has played 67 percent of his minutes at small forward. However, both are fairly limited shooters, and D’Antoni may want to avoid playing both at the forward positions together.

As mentioned earlier, it may be best to play Mbah a Moute at center and Tucker at power forward. That way their shooting won’t cramp the spacing on the floor, and you can fill out the rest of the lineup with, say, Paul, Gordon and Ariza, while still maintaining enough shooting and playmaking on the floor.

In the end, the signing of Mbah a Moute for the veteran’s minimum was an absolute steal for the Rockets. Mbah a Moute provides Houston with another above-average defender and an improved shooter. All of a sudden, the Rockets are a deep team once again. Only this time, they’re a deep defensive team.