Russell Westbrook leaves behind polarizing but respected legacy in Houston

Russell Westbrook announced his NBA retirement on Wednesday to great fanfare. One of his most forgotten stops along the way of his 18-year career is his sole season with the Rockets, when he established the prototype of slashing guards for a team that had previously indexed solely towards shooters on the perimeter. Bringing Westbrook in completely changed the direction of the Rockets in 2019 and led to an unforgettable season with both ups and downs.

Westbrook gave the Rockets everything he had

Just like Westbrook has done on every team whose ever signed him, he gave full effort for the Rockets. During the 2019-20 season, he averaged 27 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game while securing his 9th (and final) All-Star and All-NBA selections. His relentless downhill attacking brought a new element to the Rockets offense that had been built around 3-point shooting for years with Mike D'Antoni and James Harden at the helm.

In February of 2020, the Rockets fully committed to Westbrook's playstyle by trading away center Clint Capela and playing another shooter at the 5 spot. Westbrook responded in kind by increasing his averages to 30 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists per game for the final 15 games of the regular season. His efficiency took a leap to 52% from the field and 37% from three as he was able to attack with true 5-out spacing.

Westbrook brought his usual competitive fire to the bubble and became infamous for trash-talking other teams even with players' wives and babies in attendance. He was never afraid of any matchup, which helped keep Houston's spirit high even in the unfamiliar bubble environment. They would eventually win a tough 7-game first-round series against the Thunder (Russ' old team) before losing in 5 to the eventual champion Lakers.

Russ' time in Houston had its rough patches too

The Rockets made a major move to acquire Westbrook in the first place, trading away their own All-NBA point guard in Chris Paul along with draft capital. But Westbrook only lasted one season in Houston before getting moved again because his playstyle didn't fit with the team culture. His time was short as the Rockets' front office was constantly trying to maximize their roster and cap flexibility.

During the series against the Lakers, Westbrook's flaws became most apparent as Los Angeles chose to guard him with bigger defenders and forced him to shoot. He shot just 42% from the field and 26% from three in that series - and his numbers came down to 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game.

That was enough for the Rockets to move on from him in the following offseason. Russ would go on to have a great season for the Wizards while the Rockets were left with an injured John Wall. In the end, Westbrook's departure from Houston raised as many questions as his on-court play did.

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