Barring a miraculous three-game winning streak against the NBA title favorites in that of the Los Angeles Lakers, James Harden and the Houston Rockets will face another premature playoff exit.
Down 2-1 in their Western Conference Semifinals series againt Los Angeles, the Rockets fell flat on their faces Thursday evening in Orlando. Harden himself made two more field goals than yours truly in the must-win game. He attempted a total of 11 shots throughout the evening. It was a career-worst performance.
Following the game, the former NBA MVP didn’t have a real answer to a question that pretty much everyone was asking.
The #Rockets were in need of answers following their disastrous performance against #LakeShow Thursday night. Mr. Harden DID NOT have those answers. pic.twitter.com/Da8oUoqyvk
— Sportsnaut (@Sportsnaut) September 11, 2020
We know the narrative surrounding these Rockets. We know that they have choked big time in the biggest games the team has played during the Harden era.
It’s now time for Houston general manager Daryl Morey to finally pull the plug on this project.
Related: Top 40 players in the NBA today
Trading Russell Westbrook is not even realistic at this point given his regression and bloated contract. Houston does not have a ton of other assets to refuel this thing on the fly.
The major chip Houston has as it hopefully looks to start anew with a rebuild is Mr. Harden. The team is capped out. Owner Tilman Fertitta will not go into the luxury tax. They lack the draft picks to build from within.
At this point, the inconceivable should become reality. Trade James Harden and blow this thing up right now.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!