Houston Rockets put faith in a new superstar duo
By Alec Liebsch
Following back-to-back seasons of defeat at the hands of a juggernaut, the Houston Rockets doubled down on ball dominance.
It takes a lot to deter Daryl Morey. Though the Houston Rockets were the only team to give the (healthy) Golden State Warriors a true battle, a change still had to be made to keep up with the wild wild West.
More from Hoops Habit
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
- NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers
Around the NBA’s superior half, almost every team got markedly better. Morey, Houston’s general manager, did not hesitate to join that party either, putting virtually the entire roster up for sale in hopes of making distinct improvements.
Combine that with James Harden‘s push to get Chris Paul out of Houston and you get Russell Westbrook. The duo will rekindle their short-lived partnership from Oklahoma City with sky-high aspirations.
Both superstars have shuffled through a medley of other star pairings, but to no avail. Though the schematics seem wonky, the desire for them to make it work is strong.
If there’s any environment for two ball-dominant players to thrive, it’s this one. Everyone else has either known their role from playing off Harden or was acquired at a discount specifically to fill a role.
This team knows what it’s about and knows what it has to be about to win at the highest level. Let’s take a look at how they retooled this offseason, and what’s coming next.