Houston Rockets: 3 things Russell Westbrook does better than Chris Paul

The Houston Rockets decided to get younger by swapping Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook. What skills does Westbrook bring to Houston that Paul didn’t?

Houston Rockets fans haven’t exactly loved Russell Westbrook over the years. He and Houston favorite, Patrick Beverley, had quite the rivalry when Pat played in Houston and Russ was still in Oklahoma City. Not to mention, Rockets’ fans widely believed that Harden should’ve won MVP over Westbrook back in 2017.

Differences aside, Westbrook is now apart of the Rockets, and that’s a good thing. While it was sad to see Chris Paul leave Houston, especially after his contributions both on and off the court, it’s quite obvious that Houston improved after the trade.

As talented a player as Paul is, at 34 years of age, he is no longer among the top point guards in the league. By swapping Paul for Westbrook, the Rockets have now extended their championship window in the Harden-era, which was rapidly closing with the Harden-Paul backcourt after being eliminated to a Warriors’ team without Kevin Durant.

So, it’s clear that the Rockets are a better team with Westbrook, but in which ways are they better? Both Westbrook and Paul offer similar skillsets like scoring, passing and forcing turnovers on defense, but what skills does Westbrook offer that Paul doesn’t?

Let’s take a look at three things Russell Westbrook does better than Chris Paul and how those skills can help the Rockets become a better team.

Next: No. 3