Clyde Drexler lays out formula of how Rockets can win title

Former Houston Rockets star Clyde Drexler shares his opinion of what it’ll take for the Rockets to win the championship this season.

When the Houston Rockets acquired Russell Westbrook in the offseason, there were questions regarding how he would fit on the team. Many didn’t see Westbrook thriving in a 3-point heavy offense like the one the Rockets utilize, as that’s simply not his strength.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni tweaked his offense, and Westbrook ultimately turned in a career year during the 2019-20 season. Russ made a career-best 47.4 percent of his shots and was riding a streak of 34 consecutive games of scoring at least 20 points, which was also a career-best. Despite Westbrook’s dominance, James Harden led the league in scoring yet again, as The Beard averaged 34.4 points per game while posting identical efficiency as his unguardable season of 2018-19, as he had a true shooting percentage of 61.6 percent in both seasons.

The star duo led the Rockets to a 40-24 record, which culminated in the team having the sixth seed in the Western Conference at the time the league was suspended due to the novel coronavirus. This is the lowest seed the Rockets have finished the season with since the 2015-16 season, which was a year in which the Rockets barely limped into the playoffs with a 41-41 record.

The Rockets have been largely counted out by the national media, as everyone has the battle of Los Angeles ticketed for the Western Conference Finals, which would feature the LA Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers squaring off against one another. But there’s at least one Hall of Famer who believes in the Rockets’ chances to win a title this season.

Next: Drexler shares thoughts