The Houston Rockets needed a point guard upgrade. James Harden admitted as much following a loss in the Western Conference Finals and on Sunday night, the Rockets admitted it by making a bold move. That bold move was trading for disgruntled Denver Nuggets star point guard Ty Lawson. While the move naturally can be labeled as an upgrade, one has to wonder if it’s enough to make the Rockets a legit title contender in a very busy NBA summer.
Great Trade
For one, let’s not forget about the Denver Nuggets here. They fell into rebuilding mode almost by accident the past two years and with the drafting of Emmanuel Mudiay this summer, they’re clearly headed in a direction where talent and youth wins out over actual production right now. Their squad is largely about development and they knew going into the summer they’d want to make deals and shed some contracts. A second DUI in the past year made Lawson, a guy they already appeared to be done with, extremely expendable. Mudiay being ready to take over was the icing on the cake and in this trade the Nuggets also got four role players and two draft picks. They gave up Lawson for “nothing”, but they actually got some solid depth and assets for a guy they would have otherwise cut.
For Houston, they did a great job getting rid of two draft picks they probably didn’t need anyways. This is a very good team that made it to the Western Conference Finals a year ago, so they won’t be needing next year’s first round pick (which should be a mid-rounder at the absolute best) or a random second round pick. They gave up role players that they largely don’t need or didn’t even want. From a “giving up” perspective, they won this deal and got a very good, balanced point guard that could be the missing link between them and a trip to the NBA Finals.
Lawson 2.0?
I think the biggest aspect of this trade is who do they get in Lawson? He’s clearly been troubled with the drinking (he has set up a rehab trip, though) and he’s going to need mentoring at the least to stay clean and keep himself in a good place. For what it’s worth, Lawson has already been quoted as being “really happy” with the trade. He’s back in an environment where he’s going to be a big part of the solution, but all the pressure of winning isn’t on him. With the Nuggets, he was constantly the team’s source of scoring, whether as a shooter or passer. In Houston, he can focus more on taking what the defense gives him, giving his all on the other end, and finding open teammates. Harden creates a ton in the offense, while Harden, Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza all help shoulder the scoring load.
From a mental standpoint, it’s very possible the Rockets are getting a new and improved Lawson. He’s not going to be hating his life professionally and if he can get his mind right away from the court, he could be ready for one of his better seasons to date. Lawson is still very much in his prime at 27 years old and by the numbers is coming off of a great 2014-15 NBA season. That’s tremendous value for the Rockets on the surface.
Title Contenders?
And here’s the big one. Were the Rockets legit title contenders a year ago? I don’t think they were, as they still lacked the defense they needed from top to bottom, didn’t get enough out of the four spot and ran into the best team in the league in the WCF. To be frank, the Clippers let one get away and this team probably shouldn’t have even made it out of the second round. That being said, they showed tremendous resilience a year ago and with superstars, solid coaching and quality depth already there, they do seem to have the beginnings of a title contender. Beginnings need to be in bold in a sense, because they were this tough of a team without the pesky Patrick Beverley or big man Donatas Motiejunas around to help out.
Getting them both back for next year was a great step in the right direction, but losing versatile forward Josh Smith was arguably a pretty big blow (signed with Clippers). That, combined with massive off-seasons by the Spurs and Clippers and the Thunder also getting healthy, and Houston was looking at the four or five seed – at best.
That has absolutely changed with this move, as Lawson is a very strong two-way player that can shoot, drive, create and defend. His percentages have dropped ever since his rookie season, but if he’s not the focal point of the offense and can play within himself more, I think that reverts and he’s a highly efficient player. Not only do the Rockets get stronger in the starting unit, but Beverley shifts to the bench and can focus his relentless defense on special assignments in a situational role. Beverley is less necessary overall, though, considering Lawson is a more than capable defender and a vastly superior offensive player.
Ultimately, the Rockets just got better. Like, a lot better. Precisely how much better is difficult to gauge, though, because the Western Conference is insanely loaded. The Memphis Grizzlies might be the sixth best team (perhaps right behind Houston), but they could easily piece everything together and win it all next year. Or that could be the Rockets, who have the star power and depth now to make another deep run. Last year they made a nasty run with several guys on the shelf and no point guard. This year those guys are healthy and now Lawson is leading the offense. They may not be locked in as the NBA Finals favorite, but they surely got better and they definitely have a chance to go further than they did a year ago. In the ultra competitive West, a chance is often all it takes.
Think the Rockets will win it all or this Lawson trade means nothing? Tell us in the comments below!
