Hardened Loss: Rockets Collapse to Lakers, 117-100, as an Era Ends in Houston
Facelift. Candid Cousins. Gone… Like the Wind.
The truth hurts. It’s part of life. And the iconic movie quote, “frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” from the classic film Gone With the Wind implies Rockets fans need to accept the painful truth: James Harden has played his last game as a Rocket. We all saw this coming, but… this soon? It was only a few days ago Houston expressed confidence they would be able to retain the Beard for at least the remainder of the season. it was evident from the opening tip, Houston was in trouble against L.A. again. The Rockets dug themselves a 21 point first quarter hole, and never escaped, as the Lakers demoralized the Rockets, 117-100, and officially ended the James Harden Era in Houston. After the game, Harden spoke publicly for the first time about his desire to be traded. When asked about his stance, the Beard merely threw his teammates under the bus, saying they weren’t “good enough”, and this situation “can’t be fixed,” while expressing his frustration about a lack of team chemistry. What’s frustrating, for those of us who’ve been following this saga all along, is that Harden’s at the root of all the chaos. The Beard is the poisonous chemical that can’t make the chemistry right in Houston. Everyone on this Rockets team bought-in this season to play for the ultimate goal, everyone except Harden. An especially nonchalant turnover early in the second half signaled Harden almost literally giving up on his team. Had the Beard bought in with a fresh, talented roster, the Rockets would be at least 5-4 right now, and headed in a different direction. But, after Harden’s comments, the team had enough.
Coach Stephen Silas said he had difficulty sleeping Tuesday night. Houston even held Harden away from practice on Wednesday, hours before dealing him to the Brooklyn Nets. But the most powerful words out of this entire situation came from DeMarcus Cousins: “The disrespect started way before any interview. The other 14 guys have done nothing to him. We’ve only shown up to work like everybody else. It’s completely unfair to the rest of the guys in the locker room.” When asked (Tuesday night, after the blowout loss) if he thought Harden would play for the Rockets again, Cousins said “I don’t know. Quite honestly, I don’t care. And Boogie’s right. John Wall also took a subtle jab at the way Harden’s presence has plagued the team: “When you have certain guys in the mix that don’t want to buy in as one, it’s gonna be hard to do anything special as a basketball team… it hurts.” It’s sad, coming off career-defining injuries, Cousins and Wall have busted their rears to get back into playing shape, and their partnered with an apathetic James Harden.
Good news for Rockets fans, Houston is receiving an underrated star in Victor Oladipo, from the Indiana Pacers as part of the four-team trade. Oladipo should mesh well with Houston’s group, and is one of the more likable players in the league. I can’t say the same about Mr. Harden. And the Rockets got one of the strongest draft packages in history: a total of eight future first-round picks. The face, err beard, of the franchise may be gone, but it’s time to start a new chapter in Houston Rockets basketball. Reports surfaced saying Wall felt Harden was holding him and the squad back from reaching their full potential. Despite the pain in losing a player of Harden’s caliber, Houston had no choice, Harden was holding the Rockets hostage with each passing day.
Even with all his antics and quitting, after eight years of dominant offensive prowess on the court.. losing a generational player isn’t easy. And despite Houston getting an All-Star caliber player in return, Oladipo is no James Harden. Victor won’t have any 60-point triple-doubles. But he won’t sweep the rug up from under a franchise either. Harden may be hated by many, but he wanted what he felt was best. It’s the truth. One that painfully hurts. But, as they say, time heals all wounds. And if you’ve been following Harden and the Rockets this season, it was only a matter of when, not if, Harden would be traded. At this point in the Beard’s career, and the Rockets as a franchise, a break-up is what these two parties needed. Maybe it’s for the best Houston moves on from a superstar, albeit one who’s beginning the climb down from the peak of his career. At age 31, Harden has two to three years left max of superstar-level play. If he can even fit in the circus that is the Brooklyn Nets. The Rockets got Harden at his best, and there’s no better time than now to say goodbye to James. He’s run his course in H-Town.. And frankly, Mr. Beard… I don’t give a damn.