James Harden's future with the Houston Rockets is still uncertain at the moment. However, Rocket fans actually had some good news on the final day of 2020 after the disgruntled superstar finally had something uplifting to say about the team after Houston's 122-119 win over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Shortly after H-Town finally notched their first win of the new season, Harden was surprisingly all praises for Stephen Silas and was thrilled for his first official win as a head coach in the NBA with the Rockets.
James Harden on coach Stephen Silas' first win – "We’re happy for him to get his first win. Now, let’s see how many more we can get."
Should Harden give the Rockets a chance with Silas, John Wall, Christian Wood, and DeMarcus Cousins? pic.twitter.com/4lBVFJUyFw
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) January 1, 2021
Sure, one positive remark does not instantly repair the relationship between James Harden and the Rockets brass, but it's certainly a step in the right direction. The Harden-Rockets saga was the toast of the headlines in the offseason, after reports that the one-time league MVP had zero communication with Silas during the break. The Beard was even late to show in training camp following a reported Las Vegas bender after his camp made that trade demand.
His blatant disregard of the league's COVID-19 protocols is believed to be a big factor in the postponement Rockets' supposed season-opener.
Harden, meanwhile, appears to be in high spirits at the moment after that impressive win over the Kings at Toyota Center. The 31-year-old superstar led the way with 33 points, eight assists, and six boards, while his new backcourt mate John Wall added 22 points, nine dimes, and six rebounds in his Rockets debut. Winning, after all, does change everything, so maybe Harden will soon have a change of heart if the Rockets' new core will continue clicking in the coming games.
The Rockets have a lot of work to do to make their way up the Western Conference standings, but they can take some solace in the fact that NBA teams' performances are all over the map in the early weeks of a weird pandemic season which started not that long after the previous season ended. In the midst of this volatility, Houston could certainly gain a foothold in the West. It won't be easy, but it's attainable.
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