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The Houston Rockets chose to trade Chris Paul to the OKC Thunder before last season to pair up James Harden with former MVP Russell Westbrook. However, after a second-round exit in their first NBA season and the departures of coach Mike D'Antoni and GM Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets might be losing one or even their two former MVP winners. Let's look at the five reasons why Russell Westbrook and James Harden can't work as teammates.
NBA Trade Rumors: 5 reasons why Russell Westbrook and James Harden can't work as teammates on the Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets had a 44-28 record in the 2019-20 NBA season, and they barely got out of the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the OKC Thunder before falling in five games against the eventual champions LA Lakers.
Moreover, the team had elected to go all-out on their small-ball approach, trading Clint Capela and having no real big men on their roster. Now, with D'Antoni and Morey out of the Houston Rockets organization, the team is left with a mystery on what their identity will be in the future, and it might be uncomfortable for Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
More recently, rumors about Westbrook and Harden not wanting to play together have surfaced, and reports of Westbrook wanting to leave the Houston Rockets have been published too.
Russell Westbrook shut down the rumors about his relationship with Harden, calling the drama 'completely fabricated', but there are reasons to think the pairing will not last long. Still, even if their relationship is not bad, they could not work last year, and the tendency could easily continue if they are still together next season with the Houston Rockets.
Without further ado, let us discuss the five reasons why Russell Westbrook and James Harden can't work as teammates for the Houston Rockets.
Russell Westbrook did not fit D'Antoni's system
Of course, Mike D'Antoni and his fast-paced, three-point shooting philosophy will not be a problem for Russell Westbrook next year, but it certainly was not the right fit during the Houston Rockets' 2019-20 season.
James Harden was used to playing in D'Antoni's system, which made him the MVP of the league. It was right for his approach, as he had the ball in his hands every play, for almost the entirety of the shot clock, and was surrounded by three-point shooters.
The system did not suit Russell Westbrook, as he cannot play off the ball. He is also not a good three-point shooter (30% in his career on 3P shots — 25% last year). Westbrook still found a way to be effective, but the Houston Rockets were built for three-point shooters.
Both are ball-dominant players
Russell Westbrook and James Harden are both ball-dominant players who need to have the ball almost every time.
Of course, they had their fair share of shots last year, with James Harden averaging 22.3 FG attempts per game (second-highest in his career), while Westbrook averaged 22.5 shots per game (second-highest of his career too — and the Houston Rockets' highest of the season).
It is not usual to see a teammate of James Harden shooting more than The Beard, but it is usual to see Russell Westbrook shooting more than a superstar teammate.
Though they had their personal numbers mostly untouched, it was not great for the Houston Rockets.
Russell Westbrook needs to be the main player of his team
If Russell Westbrook has shown something more than his unique talent, energy, and competitiveness during his NBA career, he also needs to be the primary player of his team. Being the focal point of the offense gave him MVP recognition at OKC once Kevin Durant left.
Advanced statistics show that Westbrook truly needs to be running the show, which he had to sacrifice at the Houston Rockets with James Harden.
Russell Westbrook ranks second in NBA history on usage percentage with 32.69, only behind Michael Jordan. However, as Russell Westbrook is a point guard who has played with high-volume scorers like Kevin Durant and James Harden, having this high a usage percentage shows that he dominates ball possession regardless of who is around him, which did not work for the Houston Rockets.
Both have a score-first mentality
As Russell Westbrook and James Harden are both ranked in the Top 8 in NBA history on usage percentage, having them in the same team means their teammates aren't going to get involved much, even though they are great passers.
Last year, both Russell Westbrook and James Harden were ranked in the Top 5 in the entire NBA on usage percentage.
Having two players who have a score-first mentality also provides certainty for opposing defenses: they just have to focus on stopping Westbrook and Harden.
Lack of NBA championships
When LeBron James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat, he walked into a championship-winning front office, an NBA Finals MVP in Wade, and a winning culture at Miami established by Pat Riley.
Kevin Durant, when signing with the Golden State Warriors, went to pair up with Stephen Curry, a proven NBA MVP and champion known for his unselfishness. Those were experienced NBA players joining and trying to reach collective goals.
With Russell Westbrook and James Harden teaming up for the Houston Rockets, those boxes were not filled. Both are experienced players, but their still trying to figure out how to reach the most coveted price in the NBA: the Larry O'Brien trophy.
Not having been in a team which has seen Finals success may have hindered Russell Westbrook and James Harden's attempt to win a ring. Both are individual scoring focused players, and may not know how to win as a team.
Guess the Lakers players!
