After adding Chris Paul over the summer, how high can the Houston Rockets soar in 2017-18?
The Houston Rockets have been one of the most active teams in the offseason under general manager Daryl Morey and the Summer of 2017 was no different. After losing Game 6 to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Rockets immediately began reloading their roster for the next season.
This Summer’s headline for the Rockets was the acquisition of 9-time Allstar point guard Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers. The deal involved sending several Rockets including fan favorite Patrick Beverley, recently acquired Lou Williams and 2015 first round draft pick Sam Dekker among others to the Clippers.
The Rockets also signed returning superstar, James Harden, to an unprecedented four-year $228 million contract extension. The extension secures Harden through the 2022-23 season. However, Harden eluded to the possibility of finishing his career as a Rocket on social media earlier this month.
Promise I won't. #Rocket4Life
— James Harden (@JHarden13) September 2, 2017
Other notable additions to the Rockets include P.J. Tucker, Luc Mbah a Moute and Tarik Black. Tucker has gained notoriety throughout the NBA as a versatile defender that can guard multiple positions. Mbah a Moute and Black will bolster the bench in wake of sending various role players to the Clippers for Paul.
One of the main storylines in the 2017 NBA Summer League for the Rockets was 7-foot-2 center Zhou Qi. Zhou has a 7-8 wingspan and showed potential to eventually develop into a solid NBA player. In five games he only shot 14.3 percent from beyond the arc, but his shooting mechanics look promising for his size.
There is no reason why Zhou couldn’t eventually develop into a lethal offensive weapon. Key word is eventually. He is still raw and needs time before contributing consistent minutes to an NBA roster. Below are some of his NBA Summer League Highlights.
Another development this summer was the potential for the Houston Rockets to acquire Carmelo Anthony from the New York Knicks. Anthony made it known that he was willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to team up with Paul and Harden in Clutch City.
However, the deal never came to fruition. According to rumors, the hangup was Ryan Anderson’s contract. The Knicks seemed unwilling to inherit him as he has 3-years and roughly $60 million left on his deal. They instead opted to send Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Entering the 2017-2018 NBA Season, expectations are sky-high for the Rockets. Their offseason activity may have put them ahead of the Spurs on paper for the number two seed in the Western Conference. However, many other teams in the West, like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder, improved their rosters this Summer as well. The Rockets should be among three or so teams competing for the two spot in the West and may have the best shot of overthrowing the Golden State Warriors.