Power-ranking the 10 biggest challengers to the Lakers in 2020-21

9. Houston Rockets

Even this ASU alum and James Harden apologist is starting to doubt whether the Beard can lead a team to a title as its best player. He probably could with the right roster around him, given that he’s the type of dynamic offensive force the game has never seen before, but Harden’s lack of positive memorable playoff moments is damning, despite all his statistical production.

The Houston Rockets have done him no favors lately, of course. The combustible nature of this team reached full boom-or-bust status when it traded Chris Paul for Russell Westbrook as Harden’s No. 2, and Russ’ abysmal play against the Lakers only exacerbated Houston’s small-ball disadvantage against such a giant opponent.

Unfortunately, none of those problems is going to change in 2020-21 with so much money owed to Harden, Westbrook and Eric Gordon. No matter who winds up coaching, the Rockets are what they are: A team that could get hot in the right playoff matchup, but one that will eventually cool as long as it’s led by two isolation scorers who are incredibly inefficient when it matters most.