*NEW ACQUISITION
StartersENEMY LINES
A rival scout weighs inThis will be one of
the more interesting
dynamics to watch,
because when RUSSELL
WESTBROOK and JAMES
HARDEN were in OKC,
Westbrook was
more the face of the
franchise, and now
that’s completelyflipped. How is he
going to respond to
that?... Still, for me
the surrounding cast
isn’t as strong as it was
two years ago. Having
a guy like Trevor Ariza
was so huge—it allowed
players like P.J. TUCKER
to come off the bench.
They’re relying on guys
who are one step out of
the G League, like DANUEL
HOUSE.... Westbrookand Paul George each
had super high usage
[in OKC] last season, so
this could be like that
dynamic. Obviously
Westbrook has to be
way more efficient.
Having Harden as a
ballhandler might
actually help him late
in games, which has
been a weakness for
Westbrook ’s teams....
Russ is still more of adynamic player at this
point in his career than
Chris Paul, and Russ
is a primary assist
guy too. I think he’ll
get to the rim and do
stuff with CLINT CAPELA.
Paul was only going
to go down in terms
of performance....
How are they going
to use ERIC GORDON? Is
he going to be a sixth
man or will he start?I’d bring him off the
bench for a little more
firepower.... To me,
they’re still a tier below
the Clippers, Denver
and Utah because of
the supporting cast.
I mean Harden had to
do historic things just
to get them into fourth
last year. When they
get to the playoffs, how
much are they going to
have in the tank?TELLING NUMBER
The synergy between an
organization obsessed with
efficiency and the methodically
dominant James Harden has allowed
Houston to push basketball’s
boundaries. The Rockets scored an absurd 42.5%
OF THEIR POINTS ON THREES IN 2018–19. It
was the third straight year they led the NBA in
that category, upping their clip each year while
averaging 57.7 wins in that span. The extreme
approach works, but it also raises a question: At
what point will Houston hit a stylistic breaking
point? The addition of Russell Westbrook, a
singular force in his own right, makes the
question more pressing. Triple doubles and all,
the hard-driving guard has never shot better
than 35% from three. Westbrook and Harden will
offer each other playmaking reprieves through
staggered minutes, but when they share the floor
and Harden has the ball, Westbrook will have to
keep defenses honest as a shooter. —Jeremy Woo42.5%
Projected Lineup
Bench
SF
ERIC
GORDON
16.2 PPG; 2.2 RPG;
40.9 FG%; 36.0 FG%SG
JAMES
HARDEN
36.1 PPG; 7. 5 APG;
44.2 FG%; 36.8 3FG%RUSSELL
WESTBROOK*
22.9 PPG; 11.1 RPG;
10.7 APG; 42.8 FG%PG PF
P. J.
TUCKER- 3 PPG; 5.8 RPG;
39.6 FG%; 37.7 3FG%
C
CLINT
CAPELA
16.6 PPG; 12.7 RPG;
1.5 BPG; 64.8 FG%PG
AUSTIN
RIVERS
8.1 PPG; 2.2 APG;
40.6 FG%; 31.8 3FG%SF
GERALD
GREEN
9.2 PPG; 2.5 RPG;
40.0 FG%; 35.4 3FG%92GREG NELSON (CAPELA)HOUSTON
2018 – 19 RECORD 53– 29 1st in Southwest
Rockets COACH MIKE D’ANTONI 4th season with Rockets∂53 wins ∂Lose in 2nd round ∂An ultracompetitive Russell Westbrook grows a beard.THE
WEST
Crystal Ball: