NBA: Ranking the teams in the Southwest Division for 2017-18

1. Houston Rockets

The Rockets look to claim the Southwest Division crown for the first time in three years and just the second time in the division’s 13-year history.

With the acquisition of superstar point guard Paul, it certainly looks like an attainable goal.

Paul will join Harden in the backcourt and create one of the most fearsome duos this league has ever seen. Even though both players thrive with the ball in their hands, they understand they need each other to win in this league.

In order to acquire Paul, though, the Rockets had to give up a lot. And I mean a lot. They sent Patrick Beverley, Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell, Lou Williams, a 2019 first round pick and others to the Los Angeles Clippers. That right there is four players who were in Houston’s rotation last season.

Luckily, the acquired Zhou Qi, P.J. Tucker and Luc Mbah a Moute to replace those minutes. This blend of players will provide a nice mix of hard-nosed defense and outside scoring to complement the players who were already on the roster.

Houston was also able to re-sign Nene, an underrated aspect to their team. He’s one of the only true centers on the roster and is a valuable rim protector and pick-and-roll guy. He also brings the necessary toughness to survive a playoff gauntlet with a team like the Spurs. It’s no surprise he was missing when they got whooped in Game 6 last season.

Next: Complete 2017 NBA offseason grades for all 30 teams

Roster holdovers Ryan Anderson, Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon will truly help get them over the hump. They complete the roster and ensure Houston will have enough firepower to hang with just about anyone this season.