Rockets’ James Harden holds the key to reviving his playoff legacy

James Harden hopes to undo his playoff failures as the Houston Rockets prepare for their series against the OKC Thunder without star Russell Westbrook.

James Harden is easily one of the most accomplished regular season players ever to grace the hardwood in the NBA. Unfortunately, the measure of an all-time great player is not how they perform in the regular season, but how they perform in the playoffs, and for seven seasons with the Houston Rockets, James Harden has came up short of delivering a title.

Harden is currently playing his eighth season as a member of the Houston Rockets and they’re preparing for a first round matchup with the hungry Oklahoma City Thunder led by Chris Paul, the former Houston Rockets floor general who was ran out of town.

Harden and the Rockets will hit the floor without Russell Westbrook, who is listed as inactive for the start of the series due to lingering effects from a strained quadriceps injury he suffered earlier in the season. With Westbrook out for a least a few games during the Rockets’ series against OKC, the question is will a first-round exit taint Harden’s legacy?

Next: Harden in the playoffs