Anyone who has paid attention to the NBA these past few years will tell you the many obstacles and hurdles that await teams in the Western Conference. With an influx of talent and teams topped over with star-caliber players, coming out of the West is no easy feat, even for a franchise like the Houston Rockets, who have been hinging on the brink of glory since James Harden first arrived.
The Rockets put their faith in James early and then started assembling a roster around him that has seen many faces come and go. But whether it was Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, or (most recently) Russell Westbrook, it is undeniable that Daryl Morey and the front office have done a fabulous job pairing Harden with other top-tier talents.
Unfortunately, for one reason or another, the Rockets have yet to earn anything to show for all their hard work and this season could be the end of the line for everyone if that doesn’t change.
On the bright side, The Beard doesn’t seem to have lost any faith in his squad and recently said in confidence that they will be bringing home the prize…
We’re bringing it back to H-Town. We’ve come up short these last few years, but this is another opportunity for us to fight for it, to get after it again. We got some grinding to do, some work to do. But the goal is to bring it back to H-Town.
With Westbrook, Harden, Covington, and a system in place that caters specifically to their talents, Houston has all the making sof a Champion. They can out-score anyone in the league and their drive to win will only make them fiercer opponents this postseason.
But is all that enough for them to overcome the challenges set before them? Are they finally ready to prove their system works, or will they get in their own way again? Will Harden show up and play his game when it matters most?
There are still many more questions than answers for the Rockets, but what Champion, in any sport, has had it so easy?
