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