Inside The Rockets

Rockets 2019-20 Preview: Best, Worst Case Scenario for Harden, Westbrook, Full Roster

Can the James Harden, Russell Westbrook partnership bring a championship to Houston?

Michael Shapiro

Rockets 2019-20 Preview: Best, Worst Case Scenario for Harden, Westbrook, Full Roster
Rockets 2019-20 Preview: Best, Worst Case Scenario for Harden, Westbrook, Full Roster /
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A new star alongside James Harden has only heightened the championship expectations in Houston as the Rockets enter 2019-20 amid the top tier of Finals contenders. Russell Westbrook is the newest partner in crime in place of Chris Paul, and a remade bench will look to provide quality minutes alongside Houston's dynamic duo. The playoffs are a near-guarantee. Anything short of the Finals will be a disappointment.

Will the Rockets deliver their first title since 1995? Or will the Harden-Westbrook pairing flame out with an early playoff exit? Let's break down the best and worst case scenario for every Rockets' rotation player entering 2019-20. 

James Harden

Best Case: Harden secured the MVP and back-to-back scoring titles in the last two seasons. A true playoff moment has eluded him. Westbrook should lighten Harden's regular season load, potentially rising his playoff efficiency closer to his 2018-19 regular season levels. The Beard at full strength can add a Finals MVP to his career resume in June 2020.

Worst Case: The Westbrook experiment brings further offensive stagnation and the murderous West lands Houston outside of a top-four seed. Harden has put up quality postseason numbers, though a string of postseason exits left a bitter taste for three straight summers. Another disappointing finish could bring major changes to the franchise.

Russell Westbrook

Best Case: MVP Westbrook is a thing of the past, but even respectable shooting percentages could quickly vault Houston to the NBA's best offense. Westbrook is the NBA's assists leader two years running, and those numbers aren't empty calories. No guard in the league collapses defenses with such authority. Houston's shooters should feast.

Worst Case: The three-point percentage stays below 30% and Westbrook spends much of his time off the ball with his hands on his hips. Further athletic decline could make Westbrook the league's premier contract albatross. 

Clint Capela

Best Case: The lobs arrive at a historic rate and the 25-year-old leads the league in dunks. Capela could lead the NBA in field goal percentage from the second time in three seasons amid fringe All-Star buzz. 

Worst Case: Capela is ran off the floor in the postseason as guards hunt him on each possession. The five-year veteran isn't nearly as plodding as some of his center peers, though his limitations could force Mike D'Antoni to give P.J. Tucker sizable minutes at center.

Eric Gordon

Best Case: The Indiana product's four-year extension proves to be a bargain as the overqualified third guard cans 250 threes. Gordon and Paul posted a plus-11.8 net rating in 1,106 minutes together in 2018-19. Houston's lineups with Westbrook and Gordon should torch teams at a similar clip. 

Worst Case: Make-or-miss league is a cliche for a reason. One poor shooting series could slice Gordon's postseason minutes as Houston searches for wing production. 

P.J. Tucker

Best Case: Tucker slows LeBron James or the Clippers' dynamic duo in the postseason as a natural four alongside Capela. The Texas product has been one of the league's steadiest players in the last two seasons. He remains integral to Houston's closing units. 

Worst Case: Tucker has missed nine games in the last seven seasons. Perhaps the 34-year-old is a step slow after two grueling playoffs. A dip in production could leave D'Antoni searching for answers

Danuel House

Best Case: Houston's investment in the local kid pays off as House continues to add quality spacing on the wing. Quick stat: House's 117.2 offensive rating was the No. 4 mark in the NBA last season, trailing only Danny Green, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry. 

Worst Case: House's three-point percentage regresses and he slides to the back of the Rockets' rotation. House will be leaned on to soak up bench minutes in Gerald Green's absence. A healthy Rockets roster could make the wing crowded quickly. 

Tyson Chandler

Best Case: One of three active players from the 2001 draft provides provide serviceable minutes behind Capela, stabilizing the center rotation. Even in his older state, Chandler can still stretch the floor vertically. 

Worst Case: Father time catches up with Chandler, and his production slips after leaving LeBron and the Lakers. With Chandler and Nene serving as backup bigs, perhaps Houston will look to get younger at the position near the trade deadline. 

Thabo Sefolosha

Best Case: The former Thunder stalwart emerges as one of the Rockets' most dependable role players with solid shooting percentages along with his elite wing defense. The ex-Oklahoma City trio sprints to the Finals after surviving the gauntlet of Western Conference offenses.

Worst Case: Sefolosha shoots poorly out of the gate and slides to the back of the rotation. D'Antoni has quite the juggling act ahead of him.

Austin Rivers

Best Case: Finding contentment in Houston fuels a career year and Rivers bests his dad Doc in the Western Conference finals. A full offseason with Harden and Westbrook should smooth over last season's early adjustment.  

Worst Case: Houston is stocked on the wing, leaving Rivers with a marked share of backup point guard minutes. Failure to produce at a healthy clip could have Houston active in the trade market. 

Gerald Green

Best Case: Houston's energizer bunny thrives as a cutter with Westbrook and his three-point percentage creeps above 36%. Green can be a true spark plug in limited minutes. 

Worst Case: Green's recovery from a broken foot slices his season in half and the minutes become few-and-far between in the postseason as Sefolosha, House, Austin Rivers and Ben McLemore ascend in the rotation.  

Ben McLemore

Best Case: The former Jayhawk has the frame to be a quality piece in Houston, and Harden appears to have taken an early liking to the former Kings' lottery pick. As with most Rockets wings, McLemore's minutes will be dictated by his performance from three.

Worst Case: Sacramento proves prescient in waiving McLemore, who flames out in perhaps his final NBA destination. 

Ryan Anderson

Best Case: Anderson's role is simple; line up behind the arc and let it fly. His extreme range could do wonders for Westbrook as a exaggerated pick-and-pop partner. 

Worst Case: Round two with the Rockets is a bust as Anderson three-point percentage hovers closer to 30% than 40%. Early struggles could land Anderson off the roster sooner than later. 

Nene

Best Case: Nene beats out the elder statesman Chandler for the backup five spot as he gobbles up defensive rebounds at an efficient rate.

Worst Case: The end arrives sooner than expected as Houston opts for a younger model off the bench. 

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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

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