How recent Rockets are faring in the 2021 NBA playoffs

The Houston Rockets had the league’s worst record in the 2020-21 season, but they still have plenty of ties to the 2021 NBA playoffs.

A crippling wave of injuries, coupled with the forced departure of superstar guard James Harden, led to an abrupt decline for a franchise that entered 2020-21 with the league’s longest streak (eight years) of consecutive playoff berths. Many players who have recently moved on are well-known and disproportionately veterans, since Houston had a clear “win now” emphasis in trying to build a title contender around Harden.

As a result, while the Rockets aren’t in the 2021 playoffs, there has been no shortage of references to the franchise. Star players such as James Harden, Russell Westbrook, and Chris Paul have all held key roles, as have former coaches and executives like Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey.

With the 16-team playoff field now down to four in the conference finals for the East and West, here’s a look at how names from the last four Houston rosters (2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21) have fared.

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James Harden, Brooklyn Nets

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Houston departure: January 14, 2021 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in second round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-3 by Milwaukee Statistics in playoffs: 20.2 points (47.2% FG, 36.4% on 3-pointers), 8.6 assists, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals in 35.7 minutes per game It's worth noting that Harden's numbers were downwardly skewed due to a nagging hamstring injury, which caused him to miss four games during the second round and limited his effectiveness upon returning. Even so, the bottom line is that Harden will turn 32 years old this offseason, and he's still in pursuit of his first NBA title. Should that not occur with the Nets in 2022, it's fair to wonder if Harden — who has a player option to become a free agent in the 2022 offseason — might then look at other opportunities. Considering Houston's enormous haul of future draft assets from Brooklyn, it's worth keeping a close eye on.

Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns

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Houston departure: July 11, 2019 Team's playoff status: Playing in Western Conference finals Statistics in playoffs: 15.7 points (50.9% FG, 44.4% on 3-pointers), 8.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds in 31.2 minutes per game Paul is currently sidelined due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, but Phoenix already has a 1-0 lead in its series and "CP3" is expected to return fairly soon. At the moment, Paul appears poised to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in his Hall of Fame career.

Clint Capela, Atlanta Hawks

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Houston departure: Feb. 5, 2020 Team's playoff status: Playing in Eastern Conference finals Statistics in playoffs: 10.3 points (60.9% FG), 11.6 rebounds, 1.2 blocks in 33.4 minutes per game Capela has played a key role for the surprising Hawks as an interior anchor and defensive presence. In knocking out the top-seeded Philadelphia 76ers and MVP finalist Joel Embiid, Capela's defense helped limit the All-Star center to just 46.9% shooting from the field.

PJ Tucker, Milwaukee Bucks

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Houston departure: March 17, 2021 Team's playoff status: Playing in Eastern Conference finals Statistics in playoffs: 4.4 points (36.7% FG), 4.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals in 27.4 minutes per game Tucker's high defensive value is traditionally hard to gauge in the box score, and his playoff contributions with the Bucks have included long stints guarding two future Hall of Famers in Harden and Kevin Durant.

Russell Westbrook, Washington Wizards

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Houston departure: Dec. 2, 2021 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in first round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-1 by Philadelphia Statistics in playoffs: 19.0 points (33.3% FG, 25.0% on 3-pointers), 11.8 assists, 10.4 rebounds in 37.2 minutes per game As usual, Westbrook averaged a triple-double and provided value in numerous areas. However, his shooting numbers weren't nearly good enough for Washington to have a chance versus the East's top seed.

Trevor Ariza, Miami Heat

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Houston departure: July 1, 2018 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in first round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-0 by Milwaukee Statistics in playoffs: 4.8 points (30.4% FG, 29.4% on 3-pointers), 5.8 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game Though he turns 36 years old later this month, Ariza continues to be a reliable and versatile defender, as well as a capable 3-point shooter. Those are important skills in a league that increasingly craves "3&D" wing players. There's no word yet on if any further apologies are needed.

Victor Oladipo, Miami Heat

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Houston departure: March 25, 2021 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in first round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-0 by Milwaukee Statistics in playoffs: DNP, injured So far, Houston appears to have gotten the better end of its trade with Miami involving Kelly Olynyk and Oladipo, who isn't expected to be medically cleared at the start of the 2021-22 season. Both will be free agents, and whether they stay will factor into the final trade analysis.

Carmelo Anthony, Portland Trail Blazers

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Houston departure: Jan. 21, 2019 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in first round of Western Conference playoffs, 4-2 by Denver Statistics in playoffs: 12.3 points (41.7% FG, 37.8% on 3-pointers), 3.2 rebounds in 23.9 minutes per game Anthony has proven willing to accept a bench role, and he shot a blistering 40.9% on clip 3-pointers in the 2020-21 regular season. But at 37 years old, he doesn't move well defensively, and that limits his value.

Austin Rivers, Denver Nuggets

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Houston departure: Nov. 22, 2020 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in second round of Western Conference playoffs, 4-0 by Phoenix Statistics in playoffs: 9.2 points (43.5% FG, 41.3% on 3-pointers, 2.1 assists in 30.5 minutes per game Rivers took on a large role with the Nuggets, who had lost superstar guard Jamal Murray for the season to a knee injury, and he proved to be a key variable in the playoffs. In Denver's final three wins versus Portland, Rivers averaged 15.3 points per game and shot 50% on 3-pointers. That helped the Nuggets advance beyond the first round for a third consecutive season, which is tied for the NBA's longest streak.

Robert Covington, Portland Trail Blazers

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Houston departure: Nov. 17, 2021 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in first round of Western Conference playoffs, 4-2 by Denver Statistics in playoffs: 9.3 points (50.0% FG, 50.0% on 3-pointers), 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 steals in 38.0 minutes per game Covington again stepped up as a shooter in the playoffs, just as he did in 2020 with the Rockets. However, at 30 years old, he doesn't move nearly as well on defense as he did earlier in his career.

Jeff Green, Brooklyn Nets

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Houston departure: Nov. 21, 2021 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in second round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-3 by Milwaukee Statistics in playoffs: 8.2 points (48.5% FG, 55.6% on 3-pointers), 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists in 24.7 minutes per game As was the case in the 2020 playoffs with Houston, Green elevated his play when his team needed it most. However, he missed six games for the Nets due to a strained plantar fascia, which hurt their chances.

Ben McLemore, Los Angeles Lakers

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Houston departure: April 3, 2021 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in first round of Western Conference playoffs, 4-2 by Phoenix Statistics in playoffs: 1.5 points (33.3% FG), 1.8 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game As a free agent in waiting, Houston released McLemore late in the 2020-21 season so that he could sign with a playoff team. However, between his defensive limitations and a lack of practice time with his new team, the backcourt sharpshooter never managed to consistently crack the rotation of Frank Vogel with the defending champion Lakers.

DeMarcus Cousins, Los Angeles Clippers

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Houston departure: Feb. 23, 2021 Team's playoff status: Playing in Western Conference finals Statistics in playoffs: 7.7 points (45.0% FG, 40.0% on 3-pointers), 3.7 rebounds in 9.5 minutes per game Once Houston's fate as a rebuilding team became known in February 2021, they released the veteran big man so that he could sign with a more immediate contender. Cousins has only played in three games in the playoffs — due largely to the small-ball attack implemented versus Utah center Rudy Gobert — but he's quickly put up points (and on solid shooting efficiency) when given the opportunity. He's also received high praise for his leadership in the Los Angeles locker room.

Daryl Morey, Philadelphia 76ers

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Houston departure: Oct. 15, 2020 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in second round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-3 by Atlanta Now president of basketball operations, Morey was unable to close on a Harden deal with former colleague and current Houston general manager Rafael Stone. That may have been the difference for the Sixers in the 2021 playoffs, since Ben Simmons — believed to be a part of most proposals for Harden — was widely viewed as a disappointment. As with most of the other big names from this recent era in Houston, Morey is still in pursuit of his first NBA championship.

Mike D'Antoni, Brooklyn Nets

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Houston departure: Sept. 13, 2020 Team's playoff status: Eliminated in second round of Eastern Conference playoffs, 4-3 by Milwaukee D'Antoni didn't get much attention as an assistant to Steve Nash, but his long track record of prior success was enough to land an interview with the Trail Blazers this offseason. Portland has yet to name its successor to Terry Stotts as head coach, so D'Antoni could still be in the mix. [listicle id=49943]

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