Recently, several key players in the Rockets team have spread dissatisfaction, faintly pointing to the team's leading player Harden, the Rockets are facing a severe test.
Since Harden was traded from the Thunder to the Rockets in 2012, it has been 8 seasons. In the post-Yao Ming period, it has brought the team upheavals and hopes of winning the championship. Every year the team's goal is to aim for the championship, and the fans are eagerly waiting, but they always go down for various reasons.
Harden has maintained a very high attendance rate in the eight seasons of the Rockets. The season with the most missing matches only missed 10 games. Each season played more than 35 minutes and averaged more than 25 points. The 18-19 season average scored an astounding 36.1 points, the first point in the active service is well deserved, and Harden relied on his strong scoring ability to get nine of the Rockets' history of the top ten in a single game. The strong scoring ability proves that Harden is worthy of building a winning team, but the Rockets did not have particularly eye-catching results.
In recent years, the Rockets have also formed a team trying to win the championship around Harden. They have signed Howard, Paul and Westbrook and other top players in the league, but they have repeatedly lost in front of the Western Conference tickets. Moreover, these star players have been exposed before and after they are at odds with Harden. In this offseason, even Gordon, Tucker, etc. have also exposed their dissatisfaction. The occurrence of this situation is very similar to Harden, the first player on the team. Wispy relationship.
Regarding Harden’s style of play, fans have fierce disputes. As long as Harden does not hold the ball, he will not take the initiative to participate in the game. There will be a slow return to the half, allowing his teammates to play 4 to 5, often standing on the three-point line. A few steps away watching teammates struggle. And in key games of the playoffs, there will also be hip pull, which is one of the reasons for the Rockets' poor performance in the playoffs. After losing to the Trail Blazers in January this year, Westbrook led the meeting in the locker room, starting with reflecting on his own problems, pointing out the problems and deficiencies of all the players, and seeking change to end the losing streak. When it comes to Harden’s When it came to questions, he did not accept criticism like other teammates.
Harden and Westbrook may still maintain a normal personal relationship, but they really can't stand each other on the court. According to ESPN commentator Stephen A Smith talked about the Rockets players Russell Westbrook and James Harden in today's show. "I’m telling you what I learned, they don’t want to play together anymore, Russell Westbrook doesn’t want to play with James Harden, and James Harden doesn’t want to play with Russell Westbrook. Now.” Westbrook has also frequently reported trading rumors recently, including the Hawks, Hornets and other teams that have shown great interest in Westbrook.
