Houston Rockets: 2018-19 NBA Season Preview
By Justin Rowan
Storyline 3: What will Harden do for an encore?
The Rockets go as James Harden goes. Even with the addition of one of the greatest point guards of all time, it’s Harden that will determine the ceiling of this team.
With an MVP on the mantle, the only thing missing from Harden’s resume is a championship. His accomplishments will impact how he approaches this season will be one of the more fascinating things to monitor all year round.
Will Harden shoot for another MVP? Will he coast a little more in the regular season in an attempt to be rested for the playoffs like we’ve seen from LeBron James?
The playoff woes may be a little overstated for Harden, but the reality is we haven’t seen him truly perform at his ceiling in the face of elimination. His 3-point percentage has dropped off in the playoffs, and in elimination games he has left a lot to be desired.
Fatigue has often been the culprit most frequently pointed to when discussing those playoff woes. Few players have shouldered the load Harden has in the regular season, and the ones that do don’t typically pair it with a deep playoff run.
A healthy Chris Paul would go a long way towards keeping Harden fresh for the postseason. But the reality is that the Rockets have enough weapons all around to help reduce the load Harden has had to carry.
The Rockets may consider reducing the amount of isolation basketball they ask Harden to do during the regular season. While it could mean a less effective offense throughout the year, they can still go to that well in the playoffs.
At this point it’s now or never for Harden and the Rockets. Longevity can never be assumed in the NBA and Chris Paul is not going to get any younger. The Warriors may look invincible, but last season showed that the Rockets can at the very least be competitive in a series. If they catch a few breaks, Harden could return to the NBA Finals once again.