7 NBA awards Houston Rockets have a chance at winning this year

Expectations for the Houston Rockets are sky-high this season, and individual accolades may be in the near future for some members of the organization.

After coming to within one game of the NBA Finals last season, the Houston Rockets had a loud offseason. General Manager Daryl Morey seemed to get the memo that the Western Conference was going to crank it up to 100, as he made one of the biggest moves in a long list of huge moves pulled off by the West.

Considering the team was so successful last season despite injuries and bad fortune in the Western Conference Finals against the juggernaut Golden State Warriors, Mike D’Antoni and company very well could have run it back and still been a favorite. What they did though, was add veteran leadership in Tyson Chandler and Thabo Sefolosha, as well as a promising role player in Ben McLemore.

If that wasn’t good enough, the Rockets also pulled off a trade that formed the league’s first-ever backcourt made up of two former NBA MVPs. Russell Westbrook potentially elevates this season’s Houston Rockets to a level they haven’t been at in decades.

While the ultimate goal for the Rockets this season is a championship, it’s still worth looking at which individuals have a good shot at certain accolades this season. James Harden and Westbrook’s skills automatically put them in the conversation for multiple NBA awards and accolades annually, but there may be some dark horses from Clutch City that could be in contention as well.

Here’s a look at Rockets to keep an eye on this year when award season comes around.

Next: Most Improved & Sixth Man