Houston Rockets: Where do they now fit in the NBA hierarchy?

After swinging a blockbuster deal for Russell Westbrook, it’s time to reassess where the Houston Rockets stand among their NBA peers.

There was no shame in losing to the Golden State Warriors, a team with arguably the greatest assemblage of talent ever. It was a fate the Houston Rockets had succumbed to in each of the last two playoffs. With the dynasty having reached its conclusion, a door became open, one Houston sat in prime position to take advantage of for the first time in five years.

As we’ve come to see during his tenure, Daryl Morey is a results-driven general manager independent on the circumstances that may affect the final outcome. It’s for this very reason that, despite a now wide open Western Conference, he swung a deal to acquire Russell Westbrook, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The trade required the sacrifice of the once “missing piece” for the Rockets, Chris Paul, along with a handful of future draft picks. At this point in time, Westbrook is a better player than CP3, but just how much he improves Houston’s championship pursuit is a question with no simple answer.

If nothing else with his abilities on the court, Westbrook will certainly exceed Paul’s availability on a nightly basis. At 34 years of age, CP3’s body has betrayed him to the point where he hasn’t exceeded 70 games since 2015-16. Conversely, Russ is coming off a 73-game campaign, his fewest since 2014-15 after a string of three straight with over 80 appearances.

From a basketball perspective, head coach Mike D’Antoni will now be forced to develop a game plan that properly utilizes a backcourt with the two highest single-season usage rates in league history. Both Westbrook and James Harden have grown accustomed to a one-man offensive showcase, yet neither has shown a willingness to sacrifice.

It’s an issue that was brought to the surface when Paul arrived in Houston just two summers ago. After a cohesive first season that led to 65 wins, CP grew frustrated with the dribbling exhibition his MVP teammate would exude with each possession that fostered a predictable offense with little off-ball movement.

Whereas Paul and Harden could share the court due to each’s ability to shoot from distance, the same can’t be said for Westbrook. The Brodie shot just 29.0 percent from downtown last season on over five attempts a game.

The Rockets’ offense has been predicated on having as many snipers on the court as possible. Russ is sure to take some pressure off Harden, but D’Antoni will have to go to extreme measures to stagger their minutes in order to maintain the precious spacing that is the engine to Houston’s game plan.

Houston was luckily not forced to give up any other players in order to obtain the triple-double king. P.J. Tucker will continue to bring an unmatched level of toughness at the defensive end while Clint Capela‘s progression on both sides will only trend upwards, keeping the ever-important supporting cast ripe with the necessary talent.

Harden and Westbrook can run their mouths trying to prove that their time together with the Oklahoma City Thunder is reason enough for optimism. That was two MVPs, however many All-NBA teams and a number of historical stat lines ago. Both have evolved for the betterment of their individual careers and will be hard-pressed to dial it back.

We can try and talk about what Russ’ individual talent means to the Rockets’ chances at a title. The reality is it’s a matter of fit more than anything else, which raises questions nobody can have an answer to until the 2019-20 season gets underway.