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 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.

#2 Just how effective is Mike D'Antoni's system?

D'Antoni will be under a lot of pressure next season

Under Mike D'Antoni, the Rockets have been continuously making records for the number of three-point attempts in a game. Developed for a run-and-gun offense, his system means players take up perimeter positions and the ball-handler dishes the ball early or late into the shot clock, prompting them to shoot from distance.

In the last two regular seasons, this tactic proved very effective but once it got to playoff time, the Rockets' system has been exposed by a man-on-man defensive zone which has forced errors leading to turnovers and an increasing number of low-percentage shots being taken as a consequence.

With that in mind, D'Antoni must be more creative with his offensive scheme ahead of the upcoming season. Having lost to the Golden State Warriors in successive years, the Western Conference has become more competitive even despite Steve Kerr's team losing some of their firepower in recent months. The pressure is on D'Antoni to deliver and it's clear he must tweak things accordingly before getting the desired results.

#1 Can Harden and Westbrook co-exist successfully?

Harden and Russ were teammates for three years at OKC, but can their styles mix this time around?

Harden and Westbrook are two of the most dominant ball-handlers in the NBA, usually ending up with the highest usage rate percentages across the league. They are also the only players in league history with 55+ point triple-doubles, which shows both want to play on-ball and are not accustomed to playing often without it.

Westbrook makes his best moves in transition plays and is also good in the mid-post area, as well as when pick-and-rolls are executed well. Integrating his playing style with that of Harden will be difficult, since James prefers a slower pace and requires plenty of ball-watching in possession at times.

There's no doubting the pair's ability, after all, they are MVPs (Westbrook 16/17, Harden 17/18). If they can manage to gel together on-court, developing a deadly understanding, there will be no stopping the Rockets and it's another reason why they are one of the must-watch teams next season.