Will the Houston Rockets ever win a championship with James Harden?

The Houston Rockets and James Harden have once again come up short in their quest for an NBA championship. Can Harden ever lead the Rockets to a title?

The Houston Rockets went all-in this offseason when they pulled the trigger on a deal for Russell Westbrook to be James Harden‘s second in command.  His addition wasn’t enough to change the Rockets’ fortune and the season ended with a familiar whimper as the Lakers easily won four in a row to send the Rockets home.

The Rockets’ championship window is closing fast, and the burning question remains: Can the Rockets ever go all the way with James Harden at the helm?

First of all, the notion that James Harden is not good enough to build a championship-winning team around is downright hilarious. The Detriot Pistons won a championship in 2004 with Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace as their two best players.

James Harden is one of the greatest players of his generation. He is one of six players in NBA history to lead the league in win shares in five separate seasons. Those other five guys are LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Neil Johnston.

So if James Harden can be the fulcrum for a championship team, the question is, can the Rockets build a championship-caliber roster around him?

Next: What are title teams made of?