Whether James Harden will play or not for the Houston Rockets anytime soon has been a question up in the air. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN cleared the confusion up with this tweet:
Rockets guard James Harden will be required to isolate until Friday and continue to test negative for the coronavirus before being cleared to return to play, sources tell ESPN. He should be available to play Saturday vs Blazers.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 24, 2020
With Harden's antics this past week in regards to the pictures of him being in a crowded private event without a mask surfacing, his actions broke the NBA protocol for COVID health guidelines, reported by Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.
With Harden isolating, the availability of Rockets players such as John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins was also not clear due to a positive COVID-19 test result by teammate Kenyon Martin Jr. As a result, the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder was postponed.
With an unpredictable start to the season, the Rockets will have to work that much harder to build a team chemistry that can propel them to the top of the Western Conference and back into the playoffs. With the addition of John Wall and Demarcus Cousins, both talented individuals that recently recovered from devastating injuries, ready to show the NBA that they are coming back strong, the absence of James Harden may prove to be detrimental to the Rockets.
Harden, who averaged 34.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 7.5 assists per game, has been the face of the franchise during his tenure as a Rocket. Though Harden has not won a ring with the team, he has developed into one of the league's most dangerous offensive players. However, with trade rumors of Harden looming over the Rockets' heads, it is uncertain what the future holds for head coach Stephen Silas and his team.
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