Houston Rockets: Kevin Durant expects Westbrook/Harden pairing to work

Kevin Durant played on the Oklahoma City Thunder with James Harden and Russell Westbrook, although that was much earlier in their careers. Here’s what he had to say about the duo backcourt joining forces with the Houston Rockets.

Kevin Durant has had alot to say recently about the Houston Rockets, as he’s said Russell Westbrook is best untamed and that James Harden is one of his five favorite players to watch. It’s not surprising KD has had so much to say, as he played with both players during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The praise for the Rockets’ star duo didn’t stop there, as he was recently on the Knuckleheads podcast with Darius Miles and Quentin Richardson, and shared his thoughts on Westbrook and Harden joining forces in Houston.

https://twitter.com/PlayersTribune/status/1188591202133827585?s=09

That’s a lot to digest, but let’s start by acknowledging the fact that it’s too early to determine whether the pairing will be successful or not. The Rockets are 3-2 on the season, and losing  former assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik was a bigger blow than they could have imagined. The losses have had little to do with Harden and Westbrook’s pairing, as the Rockets’ issues have simply been bad shooting and horrific defense.

In the last four games, Westbrook and Harden have combined for 57, 61, 73 and 63 points per game, which is an average of 63.5 points per game. The fit of Westbrook and Harden has been the least of the Rockets’ concerns. In fact, the duo has meshed so well that Harden, who was the most clutch player during the 2018-2019 season, has been outscored in the fourth quarter by The Brodie in the first five games of the year.

It’s interesting to hear that Durant is this optimistic, as he says he doesn’t see the basketball fit on paper but knows Harden and Westbrook will figure it out. He’s spot on when he mentions how their pairing will bring alot of new energy to the Rockets, because Westbrook has certainly done just that. Rockets Nation has already embraced Westbrook, as his hard-charging style of play is easy to root for and cheer on.

It’s interesting that Durant already knows it’s going to work, because Harden and Westbrook are each significantly different players than they were when they played alongside Durant in Oklahoma City. It makes you wonder if Durant has had thoughts of joining the duo in Houston, although that’s much more dream than reality unfortunately.