The Houston Rockets are having a solid 2019-20 campaign thus far. They are 26-14, James Harden has been a monster and Russell Westbrook is fitting in just fine.
But just about everyone will tell you that the Rockets need more to seriously challenge the two Los Angeles teams out West. And it doesn't just stop there, as the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets also represent stiff competition.
The good news is that Houston has some time to add some pieces before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, and that is exactly what Daryl Morey and company should do.
While Harden is an offensive wizard, the Rockets rely far too heavily on him to save them. It's fine to lean on Harden, because he is one of the best scorers this game has ever seen, but come playoff time, you can't depend too much on one guy.
Sure, Houston has Westbrook, but then, the cupboard gets pretty bare.
Eric Gordon has been awful. PJ Tucker is just a decent three-and-D guy. Clint Capela provides a ton of value in terms of defense and rebounding, but any offensive production he gives the Rockets is just a byproduct of Harden and Westbrook, because he can't create his own shot. Austin Rivers is, well, Austin Rivers.
Houston has a lot of guys who are serviceable, but it doesn't have a whole lot of firepower, and that is something that will seriously hurt the Rockets in the postseason.
Fortunately, Morey is always active on the trade market and is always looking to be innovative and make improvements, so he will surely be working the phones over the next couple of weeks.
No, Houston won't be able to land a star player, as it doesn't have a ton of desirable assets, but it does have a first-round pick, so it can certainly use that to entice a team out of the playoff race to trade a good veteran role player.
Markieff Morris, for example, has been labeled as an option, as the Detroit Pistons will almost certainly be selling pieces off, and Morris is cheap enough (he is making $6.6 million this season) to match salaries without a major hassle.
Morris is the exact type of player the Rockets should be looking for; a guy who can provide some defensive versatility (something Houston desperately needs) and also get his own offense at times.
As much of as the Rockets are billed as an offensive dynamo, they are somewhat limited in what they can do at the moment. It's basically just a matter of hoping Harden or Westbrook bails them out.
That strategy will get you by during the regular season, but once defenses tighten up in the playoffs, that is not going to fly.
Do I think one more piece will actually put Houston over the top? No, because I think the Clippers and Lakers are too far ahead no matter what the Rockets do, but if they want to even have a chance, they need more, and they are one club that cannot afford to stand pat at the trade deadline.
Follow Us
Subscribe