The Houston Rockets have made major strides this offseason, but the Western Conference was never going to stay stagnant. Even as teams make moves, Houston shouldn’t be overly concerned about the Clippers’ recent signing of Bradley Beal.
Right now, Houston has bigger concerns. Overcoming the Thunder and Nuggets will be much tougher. Still, trading Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks for Kevin Durant, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Clint Capela puts the Rockets on a different level compared to the Clippers. Beal’s arrival doesn’t shift the balance:
“He doesn’t move the needle enough.”
Rockets Hold the Edge
Statistically, the Rockets had the upper hand last season, finishing two games ahead of the Clippers. Despite L.A. having a better Net Rating (4.9 vs 4.6), Houston made bolder offseason moves.
That said, Rockets fans shouldn’t assume a playoff series win over L.A. is guaranteed. It’s worth noting that the Clippers didn’t just add Beal—they also brought in Brook Lopez and John Collins.
So the real question becomes: Which team won the summer?
Side-by-Side: New Additions
Clippers:
- Bradley Beal: 17.0 PPG, 3.7 APG, 38.6% 3PT, -1.1 BPM
- Brook Lopez: 13.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 37.3% 3PT, 0.8 BPM
- John Collins: 19.0 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 1.1 BPM
Rockets:
- Kevin Durant: 26.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 43.0% 3PT, 3.2 BPM
- Dorian Finney-Smith: 8.7 PPG, 41.1% 3PT, -1.5 BPM
- Clint Capela: 8.9 PPG, 8.5 RPG, -1.0 BPM
The numbers reinforce what many already suspected: Durant is the most impactful acquisition between both teams. Any small advantages the Clippers might gain from Collins and Lopez are offset by the gap between Durant and Beal.
Though Finney-Smith’s Box Plus/Minus rating looks unimpressive, his on-court impact says otherwise. Last season, the Lakers were +17.1 and the Nets were +15.5 with him on the floor, both ranking in the 99th percentile.
“Finney-Smith is the consummate role player. He doesn’t rack up the counting stats that are reflected in BPM, but he helps everyone around him rack those stats up.”
When it comes to who the second-best player among the new additions is, one could argue for Lopez or Collins, but Finney-Smith also deserves a mention.
Interestingly, Beal is expected to replace Norman Powell, who had a 1.5 BPM—a better mark than Beal’s last year. The Clippers may justify this swap to get a power forward like Collins, but the Rockets didn’t just reshuffle—they upgraded outright.
Big Picture
The Rockets already had a slight edge, and they widened it this summer. At this stage in his career, Beal’s name carries more weight than his actual performance. He might bounce back with the Clippers, but for now, there’s no real reason for Houston fans to panic:
“They should be focused on the Thunder (and maybe the Nuggets).”
