The Houston Rockets are taking ball-dominance to a new level. A year after James Harden posted the highest scoring average since Michael Jordan over 30 years ago, Houston added Russell Westbrook to give themselves the two highest-usage guards in the NBA. They won 65 games during the 2017-18 season by relying on Harden and Chris Paul dominating in isolation, which then dropped to 53 wins during the 2018-19 campaign, but adding Westbrook could push them back to the top of the Western Conference.
Those two are flanked by a roster that was tailor-made to support superstars of their ilk. Eric Gordon can handle the ball when necessary, but he is a career 37.4 percent three-point shooter on almost nine attempts per game as a Rocket. P.J. Tucker is among the best defenders in all of basketball and Clint Capela will pick up plenty of easy points on lobs for Houston’s two leaders.
Their bench features returning pieces like Austin Rivers and Danuel House, but also includes some notable risks. Ben McLemore, a former lottery pick, will fight for minutes off of the bench. Tyson Chandler was their most notable veteran addition, but injuries ruined his 2018-19 season with the Lakers.
Ahead of the 2019-20 season, here’s a look at the Rockets’ roster and projected starting lineup as things stand.
Rockets roster
- Thabo Sefolosha — G
- Clint Capela — C
- Tyson Chandler — C
- Gary Clark — F
- Ryan Anderson — F
- Eric Gordon — G/F
- Nene — C
- Gerald Green — G
- James Harden — G
- Isaiah Hartenstein — F
- Danuel House Jr. — G/F
- Ben McLemore — G
- Austin Rivers — G
- P.J. Tucker — F
- Russell Westbrook — G
- Chris Clemons — G (Two-way player)
- Michael Frazier — G (Two-way player)
Projected starting lineup
- Russell Westbrook — PG
- James Harden — SG
- Eric Gordon — SF
- P.J. Tucker — PF
- Clint Capela — C
