NBA Free Agency: Impact of Signings so far on the Western Conference Power Rankings 

#2 Houston Rockets

James Harden and Chris Paul

Likely Starting 5:

James Harden, Chris Paul, PJ Tucker, Ryan Anderson, Clint Capella

Bench Contributors: Eric Gordon, Nene, Joe Johnson, Tarik Black

You would be a brave person to bet against the Houston Rockets next season. This is a team that was all over the eventual champion Warriors until Chris Paul got injured. If Paul doesn’t injure his hamstring then the whole NBA picture could be entirely different right now. Looking ahead to next season Houston retains mostly the same core of players.

The loss of Trevor Ariza will hurt them, however, they have similar 3-and-D players on their roster who should be able to step up and fill his minutes. Clint Capela resigning was huge for the Rockets. Capela is so pivotal to the Rockets game plan. His offensive rebounds and the way he anchors their defense with his versatility is a big reason for the Rockets success.

Look for the Rockets to continue in the same vein next season both offensively and defensively. They will continue to switch screens against most teams, and as for their 41.9 3pt attempts per game, don’t expect that to change.