The Houston Rockets came into the 2015 offseason with hopes of making a big splash, and things looked very bleak after all of the main free agents were off the market. Josh Smith even chose to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers rather than re-signing with the Rockets. Even though it looked like the Rockets were going to be left out, they didn’t give up searching for an option.

Ty Lawson was finally acquired by the Rockets last night in a deal that sent a few small pieces and a protected first-round pick to the Denver Nuggets. It was a deal that came out of nowhere, and the Rockets surprised quite a few fans and analysts by pulling the trigger. They were fresh off of a new deal with point guard Patrick Beverley earlier this offseason and didn’t have a huge need at the point guard position.

Despite that fact, the acquisition of Lawson will put them over the top and makes them a legitimate championship contender in a very tough and competitive Western Conference.

Lawson is fresh off of his second DUI arrest and he is heading to a 30-day rehab facility to try and get his act straight. Simply going to a facility isn’t going to get that job done, but perhaps the reality of being close to losing his career will sober him up a bit. Houston is taking a bit of a gamble with this move, but they made it because Lawson is one of the best point guards in the NBA when he has his head on straight and is playing to his full potential.

During the 2014-15 season with the Nuggets, Lawson ended up averaging 15.2 points, 9.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. He ended up ranking third in the NBA in assists per game, finishing behind just Chris Paul and John Wall. Those two players are good company to keep, and it shows just how dominant Lawson is capable of being when he’s playing his best baskeball.

There are some areas of his game that he could use some improvement, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. That being said, Dwight Howard will be a big help for him at the rim.

James Harden is much better when he has the basketball in his hands, which is a bit of a concern for some. Whether or not Lawson will be fine with Harden being just as much of a ball-handler as him or not is unknown, and could cause some chemistry issues between the two of them. That being said, they will also be able to take pressure off of each other with their abilities.

At 27 years old, Lawson is still in the middle of his athletic prime. Houston needed to make a move to answer the San Antonio Spurs, who were able to bring in both LaMarcus Aldridge and David West. It certainly doesn’t mean that the Rockets will be able to knock them off in a seven-game series, but they have a much better chance with Lawson than without.

Needless to say, the Western Conference is going to be entertaining and intriguing once again in 2015-16. Lawson will get his mind right and get back to focusing on basketball, and the change of scenery will be exactly what he has been needing. Expect to see him live up to being the splash that the Rockets were hoping for and put up consistently big numbers.

Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.