Chen Xi and Butler were both All-Stars, while the Rockets' third scoring option was only Eric Gordon.
Of course, a roster wasn't everything. Otherwise, they could just hand the 2019 championship straight to the Warriors and save everyone else the trouble of playing.
Looking at the Rockets' roster structure alone, it was actually very sound.
With Harden, the greatest combo guard in history, they had someone who could both provide firepower and orchestrate the offense. Ariza, Tucker, and Capela were all quality role players who could defend and protect the rim. The first two also had a decent spot-up three-point shot.
Capela was an elite lob finisher, too.
And Paul went without saying. At this point, he was still a floor general in the league's top tier.
He had an incredibly high basketball IQ, elite control of the pace, and no blind spots in his shooting. While his body hadn't completely declined, he also had a polished ability to exploit mismatches against bigger defenders.
On the bench, Eric Gordon was last year's Sixth Man of the Year.
The team chemistry was excellent, too.
This Rockets team had made it to the Western Conference Finals entirely on the strength of its own ability!!
That said, opinion around the league on the Western Conference Finals was overwhelmingly one-sided.
Most media outlets said the Thunder would probably finish the series in six games or fewer.
Some went even further, boldly claiming the Thunder would sweep the Rockets in four.
"Damn it, even I'm not that cocky. What are they so arrogant about?"
Chen was sprawled on his couch, watching American sports blogs hype things up on his phone.
He couldn't help feeling a little frustrated.
"Quit jinxing us, guys! Seriously, does anyone get it?! These clickbait accounts are so annoying."
Other people might