Houston Rockets: Good Enough For James Harden?

If Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant have taught us anything, it should be that basketball is, by any measure, a team sport. A team sport in which you need to have the right pieces — usually around a star — to be able to win a championship.

Every single player, regardless of his position on the court, will, for better or worse, eventually have an impact on the team’s season.

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Of course, unlike football, in which you can’t throw the ball and catch it also — am I right, Gisele? — in basketball you can play both sides of the floor (read: defense and offense) “simmultaneously,” thus putting a much larger weight on the shoulders of each team’s cornerstones. In this case, Dwight Howard and, specifically, James Harden.

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Heavy is the head the wears the crown, indeed.

Three years after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder in one of the most lopsided trades ever, James Harden has finally reached the superstar-caliber player the Thunder hoped he’d never be. Now, going into his seventh season in the NBA he’s most likely looking to finally lead the Rockets to their third title in franchise history.

But can he?

He most certainly has the tools to do so.

Last year, the Houston Rockets failed to reach the NBA Finals by meeting the destiny-ridden Golden State Warriors. Regardless, their overall performance throughout the season and the playoffs was a great one. With a healthy backcourt, maybe they would’ve had a chance to piss all over the Warriors’ premature championship parade.

This year, after a kind of quiet offseason by their standards, the Houston Rockets have improved last season’s weakest link, their backcourt, by adding former Denver Nugget, and notable off-court liability, Ty Lawson.

Also, by bringing virtually everyone back from last year, they’re the deepest team in the whole league. And it’s not even close.

Because of their mind-boggling depth, look for the Rockets to give Harden more breathing time during games as they keep him fresh for the playoffs — not that he needs it, though. Also, if Patrick Beverley and Ty Lawson are able to tidy up the offense during the course of the regular season, they will likely get to bring the ball up the court once the postseason comes along.

Thus removing the massive hounding target off of James Harden’s back.

You see, once Beverley went down with a season-ending wrist injury, Harden was responsible not only for scoring, but for bringing the ball up the court in order to create such offense.

Once teams figured out that none other than Harden was a consistent offensive weapon for the Rockets, they started hounding him with full-court pressure.

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After doing so for three rounds — including a comeback from being down 3-1 against the Los Angeles Clippers — it’s not out of the realm of possibility to think that someone as big as Harden, might’ve gassed out once he faced the Warriors.

A deeper roster enables Harden to take off some possessions during games. As a direct result Harden could be rested, and even better, once the playoffs come along.

By every single measure Harden had a career year in which he was, barring team overall records, arguably the most important player on his team. Without the All-Star shooting-guard, the Rockets probably wouldn’t have made it out of their first round matchup against the overachieving Dallas Mavericks.

As a matter of fact, with fellow cornerstone Dwight Howard out for exactly half the season, the Rockets probably wouldn’t have made it into the playoffs.

Let me be clear, Harden will have to continue leading the Rockets if they were to get far into the playoffs. And most of the pressure will be on him to do so. Nevertheless, it seems as if for the first time since 2012, he finally has the co-stars that’ll play a secondary but much-needed role on the Rockets’ quest for an NBA title.

Next: Harden and Howard -- The End

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