Houston Rockets are proving they are contenders in the West

The Houston Rockets are proving they’re the real deal

Yes, the Houston Rockets are the dark horse contenders. On paper, the Rockets have the best offensive player in the NBA’s restart bubble in James Harden and, arguably, the most intense player in the league in Russell Westbrook.

Harden, unfortunately, and possibly somewhat unfairly, has a reputation for disappearing in the playoffs. However, you can make the case that could be attributed to the fact that Harden has had to carry so much of the offensive load for every game and possession. Running out of gas in the postseason, for Harden, has been all but inevitable over the last few seasons of his career.

This year could be different, though. Due to the NBA’s four-month hiatus, Harden will have had ample time to recover from the regular season and then ramp back up in the eight seeding games by the time the playoffs officially start.

More from Sir Charles In Charge

Harden with fresh legs in a dangerous sight. The Orlando bubble has a pickup vibe, which puts Harden in his element: getting buckets.

Any basketball fan, player, and coach know in pickup it’s all about getting buckets, this is what Harden is built for and that’s exactly what we’ve seen through the team’s first two games of the restart. In two wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Milwaukee Bucks, Harden is averaging 36.5 points, eight rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game on 56 percent shooting from the field.

A rested Harden is scary for the rest of the playoff teams. Even during a seven-game series, when teams have extra time to game plan against their opponents, it won’t matter against the Rockets. Everyone knows what their game plan is, spread the court with shooters and let Harden or Westbrook attack.

The Rockets need to shoot the 3-ball at an elite clip to win a championship. As long as Harden and Westbrook are efficient and shoot 45-50 percent from the field, the Rockets have a chance.

The argument against the Rockets is their size and play style. As long as the Rockets limit offensive rebounds and their defensive rating is average, they’re going to have a chance to win.

At the beginning of the season, teams would double Harden at the top, just to get the ball out of his hands. It would work, but then it creates a 4-on-3 situation for the Rockets, thus creating more room for Westbrook to attack the paint. Harden is good at reading the defense and making the right play.

This is make-it-or-break-it time for the Rockets, both former MVP’s should have a chip on their shoulder for past playoff “failures.”

If the Rockets win the championship the narrative of Westbrook and Harden will be completely different. They will no longer be the “stat paders” who burn out in the playoffs, but instead, they will be NBA champions. One ring can change a player’s career and cement their legacy.

Next. NBA: 5 players who have stepped up through the first weekend of the restart. dark

As long as the Rockets have Harden and Westbrook leading the charge, no one should count them out.

Home/Houston Rockets