The 8 Greatest Rockets in history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)

6. Chris Paul- 22

When the Rockets nabbed Chris Paul from the LA Clippers, many questioned the fit alongside James Harden. After all, this was the Point God, who was used to having the ball in his hands, much like Harden.

Would they be able to sacrifice touches and be okay with not having their hands on the ball on seemingly every possession?

It didn't take long for the duo to silence the naysayers, as the Rockets had the best record in the NBA with a 65-17 record. Paul had 18.6 points and 7.9 assists and provided the Rockets with a vocal leader, which Harden wasn’t quite capable of becoming.

Harden also took home his first scoring title. 

Paul also provided the Rockets with a defensive-minded guard, which pushed Harden to apply effort on that end of the floor.  Paul and the Rockets reached the Western Conference in their first season together, which is simply unheard of, as players need time to gel and mesh, usually.

Unfortunately, Paul sustained a hamstring injury that caused the Rockets to be eliminated by the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18. However, the Rockets gave the Dubs everything they had and had them on the ropes.

In 2018-19, Paul battled his way back from the injury and clearly wasn't fully healthy. However, he still averaged 15.6 points and 8.2 assists, while shooting 35.8 percent from deep (three attempts).

The Rockets made the decision to deal Paul in the offseason, bringing in Harden's longtime friend Russell Westbrook. 

Paul led the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder into the postseason, with averages of 17.6 points, 6.7 assists, and five rebounds. Paul also made the All-NBA team in his first season after being dealt by the Rockets.

Paul was dealt once more to the Phoenix Suns after his lone season in OKC and led Phoenix to the NBA Finals, proving that he was still capable of playing at a high level and providing veteran mentorship and leadership.