Van Gundy: Rockets would take a backseat to no one with Paul George

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NBA analyst and former Rockets head coach, Jeff Van Gundy, joined Granato and Raheel with Del and shared his thoughts on the Rockets trading for Chris Paul. What really impressed Jeff was the Rockets ability to stay competitive and avoid tanking while they rebuilt the roster. As far as Chris Paul’s fit with the team, he believes that will come down to sacrifice. Paul will have to play with a faster pace, and take more three-point shots.

Chris Paul will impact the playoffs

Van Gundy believes the Rockets will win around sixty games next year, but Paul’s biggest impact will come in the post season. When Harden needs to rest for a few minutes, the Rockets will still have an elite future Hall of Fame guard on the court that can generate offense. Adding Chris Paul may just be the first move the Rockets make this off-season. Another player that has been linked to the team is the Pacers’ Paul George. Van Gundy said if Paul George ends up in Houston the team will “take a backseat to no one in the playoffs.” Jeff thinks Paul George is the best player out there for any team and he will be heavily pursued. His defense is the key to improving the Rockets because their offense won’t get much better than it was last year. The team has definitely improved with the addition of  Chris Paul, but Van Gundy cautions that elevating the defense should be a priority.

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Houston teams are looking good

Finally, Jeff shared his thoughts on the state of the Texans and Astros. He’s excited about the depth of the Astros and their ability to keep winning after suffering so many injuries to the starting pitching staff. Van Gundy also expressed his appreciation for the trade the Texans made to move up and draft QB Deshaun Watson. He likes that Texans GM, Rick Smith, was all in on the pick, and respects general managers that make bold moves.

You can hear the entire segment below. Make sure you catch Granato and Raheel with Del weekdays from 9-11am CT on ESPN 97.5 radio. You can listen live or on demand with the ESPN 97.5 radio app.