Is James Harden right about the Houston Rockets?

Is James Harden right about the Houston Rockets’ chemistry?

James Harden believes that the Rockets’ chemistry this season is not up to snuff to be a contender. After nine games he doesn’t appear to be all that wrong as the Rockets have the 19th ranked offensive rating and the 20th rated defensive rating.

However, the Rockets’ first two games were played with a skeleton crew, which means that the Rockets have only had five games with Christian Wood, John Wall, and James Harden. The team, early on, was always going to have some chemistry issues because of how much turnover the roster had at key positions in the offseason.

The other important point to remember is that the Rockets have trotted out their preferred starting five of PJ Tucker, Danuel House, Wall, Wood, and Harden twice this season and won both of those games. Sure, the chemistry isn’t perfect but when everyone is available this season the Rockets haven’t lost yet.

What makes Harden complaining about chemistry ridiculous is that the team’s chemistry has been negatively impacted by him more than anyone else. He showed up to training camp late and then had to quarantine due to his flaunting of the NBA health and safety protocols.

If Harden really was concerned about the team’s chemistry he would have been at training camp on time and ready to go, instead of partying all over the country. The truth is, the Rockets have a chemistry problem but it’s mainly a product of Harden’s own apathy towards their season and not the organization, his teammates, or the coaching staff’s fault.

Next: Is James Harden right about the Houston Rockets’ talent?