James Harden asking for a trade has been the major story in a lot of media outlets, but not enough attention has been brought to the roster that he currently has. If James Harden wants to compete for a championship, it seems like talented teammates like John Wall and Christian Wood should appeal to the Rockets’ superstar. Some have already stated that this current roster has potential, and it would be nice for Rockets’ fans to see their star give the roster another shot.
One of the gripes that James Harden reportedly had with the franchise was the selection of Stephen Silas as head coach. However, after the Rockets’ first win, James Harden had seemingly changed his tune and praised Silas for using him off the ball, rather than having him dominate on-ball like he was used to.
James Harden on setting up off-ball: "Coach [Stephen Silas] does a good job of that. Putting me in [different] positions. Not always on the basketball, but off the ball and scoring positions….First game with all of us together. We will watch film and get better." #Rockets
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) January 1, 2021
It seems like, with this statement, Harden had a positive response to the coaching change. D’Antoni’s system made James Harden an MVP and gave him a chance to thrive as a dominant ball-handler and playmaker, but not everything can run through James Harden, and playing him off-ball could alleviate some of the pressure he has to score every possession. Harden also quotes that it’s only their first game together, and seems to commit to getting better throughout the season.
While people should still keep a lookout for a potential James Harden trade, it seems that after their first win, Harden is feeling better about the prospect of staying in Houston. It’s hard to get equal value for a superstar in a trade, so the Rockets could give this current roster a shot at being good before accepting any packages for Harden.
