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The Houston Rockets have traded a superstar point guard for the second-straight season. Russell Westbrook is headed to the Washington Wizards in a deal that involves John Wall and a first-round pick going Houston's way.
The Rockets might be poised to maintain James Harden in their roster now, as the former MVP reportedly preferred Wall over Westbrook. With this in mind, let us take a look at the Houston Rockets' projected starting five for the 2020-21 NBA season.
How will the Houston Rockets starting 5 look like with the introduction of John Wall
With John Wall's arrival, the Houston Rockets have two guards who need the basketball in their hands again. Westbrook and Harden managed to not step onto each other last season, but they have already played together.
Wall will also reunite with his former teammate at Kentucky, DeMarcus Cousins.
For Wall, the dynamic might differ from his Washington years, as he was the primary ball-handler. There were doubts already about Wall's return and how he would play alongside Bradley Beal who had a career year last season.
However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden "had a preference" for Wall instead of Westbrook. The 2017-18 NBA MVP might be willing to find the right chemistry with Wall and remain in the Houston Rockets' roster.
Wall has not played an NBA game since December 2018 and his form is a mystery. However, he is a five-time NBA All-Star who could be impactful if he is healthy enough.
Without further ado, let us look at the projected starting five for the Houston Rockets in the 2020-21 NBA season.
Point Guard - John Wall
There isn't any other place to put John Wall, though James Harden has been the Houston Rockets' true point guard in recent years.
Wall is a great point guard in terms of getting his own shot and creating for his teammates. He might need to tweak his game a lot to play with Harden, but point guards have not seen their numbers fall while playing with 'The Beard' (Chris Paul and Westbrook, for example).
Wall averages 19 points and nine assists per game in his NBA career and is an opportunistic defender. He averages 1.7 steals per game, which opens many fastbreak chances for him to show his unique speed. He could be a great tool for the Houston Rockets.
Shooting Guard - James Harden
In essence, James Harden has been the point guard of the Houston Rockets in recent years. Especially with Mike D'Antoni coaching, Harden was controlling the offense every time.
The former MVP has been linked with a possible trade to the Brooklyn Nets but the noise surrounding that trade has been disappearing recently. Now, with reports that he wanted to play with Wall, he might be staying with the Houston Rockets.
Harden averages 25.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in his NBA career. He has led the NBA in scoring in the past three seasons.
Small Forward - Danuel House
Danuel House was a problem for the Houston Rockets in the Orlando bubble. Recently, he apologized for an incident that occurred at Orlando during the NBA playoffs.
House was kicked out of the NBA bubble for breaching the safety protocol after inviting a woman into his hotel room. He was a key piece of the Houston Rockets last year and will remain in that place next year.
"I would like to apologize to my team, the organization, the owner, and the fans for the mishap that happened in the bubble, I offer my sincerest apologies to everyone."
House averaged 10 points and five rebounds per game in last year's regular season. He shot 36% from the three-point line and averaged 11 points and six rebounds per game in the NBA Playoffs.
Power Forward - PJ Tucker
PJ Tucker is a tremendous player and the passion he displays is key for any NBA team with title aspirations. He will fill any box the team needs and will play with controlled aggression.
Tucker played 72 regular-season games in the 2019-20 season and averaged seven points and seven rebounds per game. Moreover, he shot 36% from the three-point line.
Among the Houston Rockets' starters, his offensive rating of 114 was only behind James Harden's 120.
At 35 years old, Tucker is an experienced NBA player who is a good presence in any locker room and he has been solid for the Houston Rockets.
Center - Christian Wood
The 25-year-old forward is likely to start at center for the Houston Rockets.
Christian Wood had a great year with the Detroit Pistons in the 2019-20 season. He played 62 games (12 starts) and averaged 13 points and six rebounds per game. Wood made 57% of his shots from the field and 39% of his three-pointers (2.3 attempts per game).
He also shot 74% from the free-throw line. He is a 6' 10'' player who has been in five NBA teams already.
Last season, Wood played more than 21 games in a season for the first time in his career and he earned a good contract with the Houston Rockets.
Wood signed a three-year, $41 million deal with the Houston Rockets in NBA Free Agency 2020 and is expected to be a important element of the team.
Guess the Lakers players!
