1. The Rockets to win the 2019 NBA title
In a recent interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, general manager Daryl Morey left no one in doubt as to the Rockets’ outlook for the 2018-19 season:
"“We have a group that has accomplished everything. We have three future Hall of Famers [Paul, Harden, Anthony] — the only thing they have left [to accomplish] is to win a ring. I think being as close as we were last year, a hamstring away, it makes these guys even more motivated.”"
While the Golden State Warriors added All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to their already star-studded roster, history shows that returning to the NBA Finals only gets more difficult by the year. Having won three of the past four championships, this is exactly the predicament facing the Warriors. Not only are they facing a battle of attrition having played over 100 games for four straight seasons, there’s also the mental aspect of motivation to deal with.
These are naturally factors the Rockets will be banking on working in their favor. One incredible statistic from last season was when the trio of James Harden, Chris Paul and Clint Capela played in the same game, Houston recorded a 50-5 record.
This is crucial, as once again trying to gain home-court advantage throughout the postseason will be near the top of the Rockets’ things to-do list. If this elite trio is able to share the court for more than 55 games this season, topping the Western Conference standings is again a more than obtainable goal.
When all is said and done, it’s hard to dispute that the Rockets’ motivation is currently at an all-time high.
Given a full bill of health, and a slight drop-off due to overall fatigue from the Warriors, the Rockets taking away their third title in franchise history could be in the cards for 2018-19.