Houston Rockets: James Harden and Russell Westbrook are a dynamic duo

Despite all the recent changes that have altered the NBA landscape, Houston Rockets guards James Harden & Russell Westbrook are one of the game’s top duos.

Over the last two weeks and counting, the ever-evolving landscape of the National Basketball Association has managed to make yet another grand transition in front of our eyes, in addition to leaving most Houston Rockets fans wondering exactly where their beloved franchise stands among the rest of the pack.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are teammates on the Brooklyn Nets. Anthony Davis is officially a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George have decided to join forces on the Los Angeles Clippers. Jimmy Butler is with the Miami Heat.

Now, a new trend across the league is beginning to take shape, as the game that was once directed by an assortment of massive trios is one that consists primarily of superstar duos across the board.

Yet in the midst of all the moves that have been made throughout this offseason, there is one particular duo that the majority of basketball analysts and spectators have completely forgotten about. It’s a dazzling backcourt tandem that was assembled exactly several years before it recently became en vogue across the professional hoops universe.

It’s one that reached uncharted heights during their inaugural run — and rose to prominence — by doing the No. 1 thing that players of their caliber seek to do on the sport’s highest level within a three-year period.

Their names? James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Royce Young, Westbrook is getting prepared to reunite with his familiar running mate in Houston after being dealt in an epic blockbuster trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder nearly 48 hours ago.

After spending 414 miles apart from each other the last seven seasons, the two cast members have worked to sharpen their games to emerge as alpha dogs since they last suited up in the same locker room prior to the 2012 NBA Finals.

Yet in spite of Clutch City’s successful pursuit to pair two of the league’s most dominant offensive players together, many basketball analysts and scouts truly question whether or not the former MVP guards have what it takes to sufficiently compliment one another this time around.

However, didn’t the majority of the same ones ponder over the same topic when Harden and Chris Paul sought to team up just two summers ago?

In an experiment that many thought would never work, Harden and Paul displayed that the pairing of two offensive masterminds and ball-dominant players can co-exist on the court, even when their personal relationship came into question across the public scope.

Prior to making the decision to agree upon a sign-and-trade to H-Town, Chris Paul had yet to ever reach the Western Conference Finals in his illustrious Hall-of-Fame career before teaming up with the soon-to-be 30-year-old guard two years ago. Dwight Howard found postseason success once again for what may likely be the final time in his career back in 2015.

The common link? The Rockets face of the franchise himself.

Despite the two stars contrasting styles of play, all Harden and Westbrook have done is prove that they can indeed work well together — and win more often than not — be it on the league’s grandest stage or as members of USA Basketball.

The latest reconciliation of the two childhood friends could help generate an enchanting buzz surrounding Houston basketball that has not been witnessed since the days of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in the mid-1990s.

With the addition of Westbrook alongside Harden, the Rockets will enter the new decade with the only two players across the league that has currently scored 10,000-plus points since the start of the 2014-15 regular season.

This includes the reigning assist and scoring champion, respectively, as the acquisition of the former UCLA standout did not just happen by accident. The two wanted it to happen.

"“From what I understand, the night that the [Paul George] trade went down, that [Westbrook and Harden] got on the phone together and started working on it,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on the latest episode of The Hoops Collective Podcast following the official deal that sent shock waves across the league on Thursday night."

Should they find a way to stay healthy and rekindle the augury that they did on the hardwood several years ago, then maybe Harden and Westbrook could place the Rockets back atop the league’s national radar sooner than one might expect.

Although Houston can look forward with confidence occupying two all-world talents, as Harden and Westbrook possess a commodity no cap room — nor auxiliary duets — outside of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson could ever buy entering training camp this fall with the Rockets: Continuity and familiarity with the other’s playstyle.

The Rockets are set to enter the new year with the majority of their current core unit under contract, and while they are still searching to enhance their roster, The Beard and Brodie connection will likely give their offense an advantage over teams whose coaching staffs will be working mightily to help newcomers ingrained into their systems.

Westbrook and Harden may not be in the running for the league’s best duo, but they should be. Because for all we currently know? They just might be the best in a league where it presently takes two to make things go right.