A solid gain so far, but this team still is missing the final piece of the puzzle

Mike D’Antoni was down to just seven players that he believed in when a thrilling season suddenly collapsed. Now that Chris Paul is wearing red, the Rockets are up to eight. I’m sure that Daryl Morey has more planned than this. He almost always does and rarely disappoints. But a Monday that began with the tease of another potential blockbuster just in time for the Fourth of July — Carmelo Anthony wearing red? A new local Big Three aiming for the superpower Warriors? — ended with a reality check for the Rockets.

Yes, The Beard and CP3

really will be in the same backcourt when the ball starts bouncing again in a few months. Fascinating. But Wolverine and a critical part of the Rockets’ fire from last season are gone — so is about half of the old team — and there still is major work to be done if next season’s squad plans on moving up to No. 2 in the West and then ultimately finding a way to somehow overcome unbeatable Golden State.

D’Antoni made a key point in the aftermath of the Rockets’ horrific Game 6 no-show against San Antonio. Year 2 of the D’Antoni Show would be tougher, he insisted, and the last thing his team could afford to do was take a soft step backward.

No matter how much you loved the human fireball that was Pat Beverley, Paul is a no-brainer upgrade. P.J. Tucker is solid and thankfully lives to defend. Re-signing Nene (twice) was simple math.

Eight is not enough

But right now, this is literally an eight-man team that features several key names in their early 30s, and the NBA’s crazy-money season still has to hand out more cuckoo cash before the Rockets can reopen their own bank.

I seriously dig this first five — Paul, James Harden, Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Clint Capela. The next three of Eric Gordon, Tucker and Nene is mighty fine.

Then? That’s where it gets tricky.

Morey somewhat jokingly tweeted Monday about chasing “minimum contract players” — while referencing Dr. Dre and a podcast, of course — and the incredibly complicated thought of Melo becoming a Houstonian is actually easier than making it happen.

Harden, Paul and Anderson will combine to make $72 million next year. Two of those three would form a deadly Big Three. The third reveled in a career resurgence during his first season in Houston and played an ideal part in the D’Antoni Show. Anderson was off target and sometimes exposed in the playoffs, though, and there is no indication that the Knicks are in need of another stretch four who loves to shoot from deep.

The Rockets currently have two of the premier point guards in the NBA in the same starting five, two instant second-tier scorers (Gordon, Anderson), a perfect rotation at center (Capela, Nene), and three athletes who can defend among the league’s best at their positions (Ariza, Tucker, Paul).

But how much better can this team be than last year’s? And if depth was a major question mark by season’s end — Nene out; D’Antoni avoiding inexperience in critical games; Harden being forced to defend centers in the low post — are the Rockets any deeper as is? No. It also is only July 3, free agency is technically only three days old and there is a long time between now and opening night.

Shooters still a need

D’Antoni’s brilliant options at the point (Harden, Paul, Gordon) will be the envy of the rest of the league. But Year 2 of the Show already feels like it could be a little slowed down and less 3-point crazy, unless a couple of proven up-tempo shooters are added on the cheap.

Anthony would give the Rockets the biggest three in the NBA. He also turned 33 in May, has been wrapped in endless drama since he held Denver hostage and flew to New York, and has spent the last few years residing in the Association’s version of pure hell.

Can Paul take Harden farther than Dwight Howard did?

Can Capela continue to grow while Gordon, Anderson and Nene replicate their near-perfect health from a year ago?

We have all next season to figure that out.

But even with The Beard and CP3 paired up, the Rockets currently feel about the same.

They need another big name. Or even more internal magic than they discovered last season.