Reasons why the Houston Rockets should trade for Russell Westbrook

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HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 09: Chris Paul #3 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket defended by Russell Westbrook #0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first half at Toyota Center on February 9, 2019 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

Odd lineup

Granted, a lineup of Harden, Westbrook and Paul would certainly be unorthodox but it would be beneficial for CP3 from the standpoint of allowing him to play fewer minutes. Personally, I’m convinced CP3 needs to be on a load management plan, and he is 34 and played essentially the same amount of games and minutes as the much younger Kawhi Leonard.

Having “The Brodie” would give the Rockets other options to keep Paul’s minutes down. On top of that, this would allow Westbrook to slide in as the off-guard, which could also even allow Harden to play fewer minutes.

Westbrook is also a great all-around player. His Player Efficiency Rating this past season was 21.1, which is All-Star level. That actually was higher than Rockets free-agent target Jimmy Butler and All-Stars Bradley Beal and Ben Simmons. It also was higher than that of Chris Paul as well.

Another reason Westbrook actually would be a great fit in a Rockets uniform is that he fits the definition of a pure point guard. He’s led the league in assists in each of the last 2 years and ranked first in the league in assists per percentage. This measures the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted on while on the floor.

Westbrook would be great given the Houston Rockets’ style of play as he could drive to the paint and dish out to the open 3-point shooters. His athleticism is so supreme that defenses would have to respect the threat of him driving to the basket and he could kick out to the shooters. In addition, Westbrook would also be great at throwing lobs to Clint Capela and the rest of the bigs. Westbrook would also be someone Harden could throw lobs to.

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