Houston Rockets: James Harden trade and other must-follow storylines
By Dalton Sell
The Houston Rockets have made plenty of newsworthy headlines in recent months, which will likely continue as the season progresses.
What a wild offseason it was for the Houston Rockets.
Soon after their second-round defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers, reports surfaced that their MVP backcourt of James Harden and Russell Westbrook both wanted a trade elsewhere after having spent just one season together. They were not alone, as several other Rockets were reportedly dissatisfied with the organization and the direction it was headed towards.
Although Houston kept Harden, they reshaped the roster significantly elsewhere, but they still have not freed themselves from speculation just yet. Two games into the 2020-21 season, the headlines in Houston continue writing themselves every day, and here are three of them to keep an eye on as the season continues.
3. Health of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins
The Houston Rockets brought in a pair of household names this offseason when they made moves for John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Wall and Cousins have both battled through their share of adversity in the past few seasons battling through various injuries that saw them miss substantial time.
Having suffered injuries to his Achillies and his heel, Wall has not played in a regular season game since December 26th, 2018. Cousins also missed the entirety of last season after he tore his ACL in a workout before the 2019-20 season. Now, both healthy for the first time in a long time, the duo has a chance to get back on the right track in Houston.
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The former Kentucky Wildcat pairing showed significant promise in the preseason, but their regular season debut has currently been put on hold. Cousins and Wall, along with several other members of the franchise, were deemed close contacts under the NBA’s COVID-19 protocol, which has sidelined them for Houston’s first two games of the season.
With the quarantine having ended Wednesday, the Rockets get a marginal portion of their roster back in action for tonight’s matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Houston is currently 0-2 on the season, and fans everywhere are waiting to see what this roster will look like when it is at full strength. John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have a prominent injury history in recent memory, but this Rockets team could be dangerous if they can stay healthy.