Philadelphia\u2019s projected starters include James, Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid. The five players combined for 120.8 points per game last season, an offensive figure that surpasses every other projected NBA lineup.<\/p>\n
The Western Conference, however, has remained relatively stagnant in a summer of major change. This should come as good news for the Houston Rockets.<\/p>\n
One Less Problem<\/p>\n
The Rockets finished with the fifth-best regular-season record in the Western Conference, only three wins shy of the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets. With a roster featuring reigning All-Star selections Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun, Houston is expected to remain a playoff contender for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n
Houston\u2019s 2026 championship hopes were crushed at the hands of the Lakers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. In addition to Durant missing the majority of the series, James averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists, and 7.2 rebounds per game.<\/p>\n
While the Lakers will be operating with MVP hopeful Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, and the newly acquired Walker Kessler, the 41-year-old James has left a noticeable hole in Los Angeles\u2019 forward depth.<\/p>\n
The likes of Quentin Grimes and Jake LaRavia, both having spent the majority of their careers coming off the bench, are left to patch the void left by his monumental departure.<\/p>\n
Unless the Lakers make a major change in the coming weeks, Durant has a clear positional advantage when the two teams face off. With the 16-time All-Star finishing as Houston\u2019s leading scorer with 26.0 points per game, this edge may be enough to take the Rockets another spot higher in the championship race.<\/p>\n
On top of James leaving the Lakers, the Rockets should breathe a sigh of relief with Brown in Philadelphia and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Miami<\/a>. While the Western Conference is still stacked with title contenders, both franchise stars could\u2019ve added further challenges for Houston.<\/p>\n The Rockets\u2019 front office missed out on acquiring a few of the NBA\u2019s top superstars, but the Western Conference is not significantly stronger than it was in June.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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