Houston Rockets: Will A Jeremy Lin-James Harden Combo Ever Win A Championship?

The rise of Jeremy Lin–more commonly known as ‘‘Linsanity’’–engrossed the basketball world during the 2011-12 season. During the offseason, he received a large, back-loaded deal worth more than $20 million from the Houston Rockets. The New York Knicks decided not to match this offer sheet, meaning Linsanity would be moving to H-town.

The next superstar backcourt: James Harden and Jeremy Lin. Photo Credit: Michael Dunlap, HoopsHabit.com

Jeremy Lin is a solid point guard in the NBA. Many felt the Rockets would improve after they signed Lin and Omer Asik last summer–but still be lottery-fodder. However, this all changed when the Rockets managed to pull off the trade of the season, landing All-Star shooting guard James Harden from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This immediately raised expectations for the season. As a result, we have seen the Rockets emerge as a threat in the lower seeds in the tough Western Conference. James Harden won’t win the MVP award, but he’s been mentioned as a possible candidate.

With that being said, could the Rockets ever conceivably win a title with a backcourt comprising of Lin and Harden?

Well, they would need some help. Chandler Parsons is the only real scoring threat outside of Lin and Harden–averaging 15.5 points on 48 percent shooting. Asik, while a very good player, is very limited offensively.

However, worse backcourt duos have won an NBA championship. If the Rockets can strengthen their team with some high-calber free agents–Josh Smith or Andrew Bynum spring to mind–then there is no reason why this team can’t once again compete at the higher end of the Western Conference.

What you can’t rule out is the possibility of a trade happening. The Rockets front-office is the best in the league to me. Should they land another star in the ilk of Harden, while also adding some clever free agents, the glory days could be returning to Houston.