When the Houston Rockets decided not to re-sign Trevor Ariza or Luc Mbah a Moute and opted for James Ennis, it raised eyebrows around the league. Ennis, not a household name, was always going to have his production in Houston—or lack thereof—compared to that of the veterans whose role he’s replacing. Whether that is a fair assessment or not, the Rockets’ status as a title contender calls for immediate contributions from role players.

Looking at the numbers, Ennis’ most recent productive season was 2016-17, where he appeared in 64 regular-season games and started four of Memphis’ six playoff games against San Antonio. Houston’s more in-depth evaluation of Ennis likely saw similar trends, and with the organization being so heavily invested in analytics, the belief is he can reach and exceed that level of output in their system. It simply comes down to the age-old adage that players play better with better players. Daryl Morey probably salivated once he saw Ennis’ heatmap, almost like a hand-in-glove fit. Potentially.

Take Ariza for example. His success in Mike D’Antoni’s system came down to his on-court awareness and understanding of spacing and gravity. With Chris Paul or James Harden on the floor, the defensive attention naturally shifts to them. The term “ball-watching” gets thrown around a ton, but sometimes players can’t help themselves—you’re going to pay more attention to an MVP and a future Hall of Famer. Being the ball-handlers and drivers that they are, their “gravity” pulls other defenders closer to them, freeing up looks for shooters. There’s a reason why 83 percent of the threes Ariza took last season were open or wide-open. It’s not rocket science (no pun intended).

Ennis is no stranger to this dynamic, and should slot right in. Mike Conley and Marc Gasol may not be CP3 or the Beard, but the former two are still quality ball-handlers and Conley is a driving threat. Ennis could position himself on either corner or wing, knowing that the ball would find his hands. Nearly 70 percent of his threes were considered wide-open, and he converted 41.5 percent of these opportunities.

If D’Antoni wants to get creative, he can draw up some quick-hitting stuff for Ennis, much like Ariza. Occasionally you would see a pair of staggered screens set on either wing, usually the combo of a big and wing, in order to give Trevor a quick shot before the defense could get set. According to NBA.com, Ariza shot 40 percent on “early” shots, from 24-15 seconds. Ennis? Try 43 percent. Houston jacks up a ton of threes. D’Antoni also gives players on the floor the green light, so expect a huge spike from the 137 threes Ennis put up.

Another area where Ennis could be as effective, if not more so, than Ariza is in transition and off cuts. Ennis is six years younger and in what should be considered his athletic prime. He’s more comfortable putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim, unafraid of contact. He ranked in the 72nd percentile in points per transition possession (1.21), more than enough for your fourth or fifth option on the floor at all times. Ennis loves to run, and Houston is the number one scoring team in transition according to Second Spectrum.

On the other side of the ball, Ennis might not have a reputation as an all-world defender, but he does have the tools that defensive coordinator Jeff Bdzelik can utilize. His wingspan isn’t the 7-foot-2 of Ariza, but he’s still able to get his hands in passing lanes and cause disruption. Opponents only converted 28.9 percent of threes defended by Ennis. Ariza developed a penchant for sticking his nose into other players’ business, and Ennis should be able to develop that skill on a consistent basis. Watch as he’s put in a pick-and-roll situation with Chandler Parsons—by no means a good defender—and he’s able to get around the screen, have the quickness to get back to his man and have the length to disrupt the play.

With Carmelo Anthony widely expected to become a Rocket in the near future, the sexy move would be to slot him into the starting lineup. However, Ennis taking the place of Ariza might be the most effective way to keep the train in motion and build on last season’s success.