In order to legitimately contend for a championship this postseason, the Houston Rockets will have to take care of a few important things.
Following a slow start to the 2018-19 season that saw them 14th in the Western Conference at one point, the Houston Rockets appear to be back on track with a record of 49-28, just 2.5 games back of the 2-seed.
For what seems like the first time in forever, everyone is fully healthy with guys like Chris Paul and Clint Capela back in action and playing at a high level. Meanwhile, the additions made by general manager Daryl Morey over the course of the year have added some much-needed depth across the board.
Even with all their ups and downs, the Rockets still appear to be the best bet to take down the Golden State Warriors in a potential playoff series. They took the two-time defending champions to seven games last season. The roster looks different, sure, but that may be something Houston can use to its advantage.
The Rockets are talented but are by no means close to flawless. In order to even get a rematch and have a realistic shot of coming out victorious this time, a few very important things need to happen — factors that, while pretty obvious to most, have come to break this Houston squad in the past.