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NBA 2019-20: 3 burning questions for Houston Rockets heading into next season

Can James Harden lead this team before the Western Conference Finals next season?
Can James Harden lead this team before the Western Conference Finals next season?

The Houston Rockets made one of the major off-season acquisitions by trading Oklahoma City Thunder point-guard Russell Westbrook in exchange for Chris Paul. Westbrook has finished the last three regular seasons averaging a triple-double, while the Rockets kept their remaining core intact as they hope to put forward a better championship challenge ahead of the 2019/20 season.

PJ Tucker, Eric Gordon and Clint Capela will again be looking to play a crucial role going forward in their respective positions, while James Harden himself finished runner-up in the MVP voting last season despite again being criticised for his dwindling playoff performances.

Paul showed major signs of slowing down last season, barely looking like an All-Star player for sustained periods. Replacing him with Westbrook is a major roster upgrade, which also comes with its own drawbacks too though. So with all of that in mind, here's a look at the three burning questions for the Rockets heading into the next season:

#3 Can Westbrook improve his three-point shooting woes?

Westbrook has struggled for consistency with his three-point shot and 2018/19 was no exception
Westbrook has struggled for consistency with his three-point shot and 2018/19 was no exception

Westbrook has been one of the league's worst frequent shooters from distance in recent years and 2018/19 was certainly no exception. He has shot less than 30% (29.8% in 17/18, 29% in 18/19) from the three-point line in the last two seasons. 

In today's NBA, teams' biggest focus is on shooting and consistency. So when you factor in Russ' ineffectiveness as a knockdown shooter, it makes it tough to trust him with the ball in tight situations - placing further pressure on his offensive teammates to score where possible. Therefore, he must improve his shooting percentages this upcoming season for the Rockets to advance further in the playoffs.

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