The Houston Rockets have a new look, and the team is just weeks away from starting a new era together in basketball history.

After acquiring Jeremy Lin last off-season, the Rockets went back to work this year and improved the team even more with the addition of star free-agent Dwight Howard.

The question remains, with Howard's arrival in Houston, is how much could he play a role in team chemistry? The players have said that they are getting along well so far, but it was just months ago when Howard had a bitter ending with his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers, when he said he did not want to stay with the team if Kobe Bryant were to return for another season.

Dwight Howard's 2012 Lakers squad barely snuck in the playoffs and the team was a quick first round exit. Was it because nobody could get along or because the team just wasn't that good?

At any rate, Howard is surrounded by new faces and is obviously looking to erase the memory of 2012. He told Yahoo! Sports that he is looking to improve his public image from here on out with the Rockets.

"I knew exactly how [LeBron] felt [after his decision]. People putting you down, saying bad things about your character, who you are as a person. It doesn't sit well with you. When you go out on the court, you want to show them, 'Hey, this isn't who I am.'

It's up to Howard to determine his -- and his team's -- future going forward. With Harden, Lin and the others, the Rockets have the pieces to be a contending team this season.