Houston Rockets: 3 questions following the James Harden trade

Houston Rockets: Question No. 1 following James Harden trade – Can this new unit push for the playoffs?

Throughout the first 10 games of the season, the Houston Rockets have been a mess. The team is just 4-6, currently sitting at 12th place in the jam-packed Western Conference standings. James Harden’s trade speculation heading into the season unquestionably plagued this team from the start, hindering their chemistry as the losses piled up.

With Harden out the door, Houston finally gets to lift that enormous weight off their shoulders and regroup. In fact, in the team’s first game post-Harden, the shorthanded Rockets defeated a divisional rival in the San Antonio Spurs to start things off on the right foot.

One could argue with the combined eight first-round picks and pick swaps that they got for Harden, Houston should just throw in the towel this season and shift their focus solely to the future. However, with the newfound collection of talent on this roster, that would be downright disappointing.

Although Oladipo’s stance remains to be heard, the rest of this roster has shown signs of potential periodically. John Wall looks good after battling through injuries extensively these past two seasons and will continue finding a rhythm as the season moves onward. Christian Wood has also been fantastic as he continues making a far too early case for this year’s Most Improved Player honors. Alongside these two and potentially Oladipo are well-rounded role players that could surely help make this team a playoff contender.

If this roster remains as currently constructed, the possibility of making the postseason is alive and well. The Houston Rocks have several kinks to work out, but with the slate clean and James Harden out of the picture, it will be compelling to see how they rebound from the slow start to the season.