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Rockets’ History: What if the 2017-18 Houston Rockets were still together?

By N.B. Lindberg

HOUSTON, TX - MAY 24: The Houston Rockets bench reacts against the Golden State Warriors late in the fourth quarter of Game Five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 24, 2018 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 Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 24: The Houston Rockets bench reacts against the Golden State Warriors late in the fourth quarter of Game Five of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center on May 24, 2018 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 Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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Clint Capela, James Harden of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Clint Capela, James Harden of the Houston Rockets (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

The 2017-18 Houston Rockets were an absolute juggernaut. They had the league’s best offensive rating, net-rating, and record as they stormed to a franchise-record of 65 wins.

At the peak of the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, the Houston Rockets built a roster capable of toppling one of the greatest teams ever assembled. A notorious cold-stretch from 3-point range doomed them in the playoffs but that shouldn’t take away from the fact that those Rockets were one of the best teams of the decade.

The 2017-18 Houston Rockets weren’t built to last

In the three seasons since the Rockets ran roughshod over the league, only Eric Gordon and P.J. Tucker remain on the roster. Tucker is on an expiring contract and has been the subject of trade rumors all season, which means that Eric Gordon could finish the season as the lone holdover from that historic team.

3 players the Rockets can get in a P.J. Tucker trade. Related Story

Three seasons is not a long time and in another era, that core group that led the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals would still be in town fighting for the franchise’s third NBA Championship. As the current iteration of the Rockets is mired in a nine-game losing streak, one has to wonder where the franchise would be if they simply kept a good thing going.

Where would they rank in Western Conference? Would they still be a championship contender? To find out we need to take a look at what the roster offered in 2017-18, where those players are today, and whether or not they would still have the juice to be a force in the west.

Next: Remembering the 2017-18 Rockets

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