Houston Rockets: 3 big questions heading into 2018-19 NBA season

1. Can Chris Paul and James Harden stay healthy and motivated?

As previously mentioned, the time is now for the Houston Rockets. Even though Chris Paul signed a four-year deal, at his age and with his injury history, it’s fair to say that he is on the decline. Even if that decline is a gradual one, the team cannot operate under the assumption that he’ll be this good over the life of his contract.

Then there’s James Harden. Coming off his MVP season, there’s likely going to be some regression to his game. He put together the best season of his career and was finally rewarded with what he felt he had been robbed of in years past.

With that accomplishment in his bag, we got the return of questions about whether or not Harden is dedicated to the game. Namely, whether or not he let himself go:

and again here:

https://twitter.com/GoodTakesNBAPod/status/1023714760691466240

Harden needed the MVP to obtain his bonuses in his shoe deal with Adidas, and it’s possible that with that in place, he has achieved all he wants for his career.

While the jokes are funny, it seems unlikely that someone as gifted and successful as Harden doesn’t want to add a championship to his resume. In fact, with the regular season incentives out of the way, he may be more willing and able to save himself for the postseason.

Fatigue in the playoffs has been a recurring observation with Harden. He has carried an astronomical load with the Rockets over the years and has seemed to run out of gas when his team needs him the most.

If he can pace himself early in the season, get back into shape, and peak at the right time, we may finally get to see the best version of Harden in the postseason. This could come at the expense of home-court advantage in the conference finals, but the Rockets proved they can win on any court. They just need to be healthy and the best version of themselves.

If Harden can peak at the right time and Chris Paul can avoid another untimely injury, Houston just might have a shot next season. As important as the supporting cast is, how far they will go is directly correlated to the health and play of their two Hall of Fame guards.