Houston Rockets star James Harden is facing an important season in 2017-18. The All-NBA guard was, by all metrics, phenomenal on the floor a season ago but, when the playoffs arrived, Harden had a high-profile flop, and that is something that will almost certainly return to the overall consciousness when basketball begins in October.
With that said, Harden has enjoyed a tremendous summer. He has a new (and impressive) shoe colorway, a prominent social media appearance or two and Harden even added one of the best running mates in the NBA when the Rockets acquired Chris Paul. The left-hander did not sit back and simply enjoy the offseason, though, as evidenced by his new and improved physique.
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Harden displayed his new body by his own accord and, a few days later, he caught up with Sam Amick of USA Today during a public appearance to weigh in on what is in store for both himself and the Rockets.
“Every summer, it’s about getting better and putting yourself in a position to last an entire season. I know how exciting this season is (going to be, and) I know how important it is, so I’m going to take full advantage of it. I have a lot of charity (events), a lot of things going on, but when I’m in that gym that’s kind of my getaway. That’s kind of when I’m locked in.”
The soon-to-be 28-year-old star is undoubtedly aware of the increased pressure that comes along with adding Paul this summer and hearing that Harden is “locked in” has to be encouraging to fans of the Rockets. Beyond that, Rockets GM Daryl Morey wasn’t shy about giving credit to Harden for his work as a recruiter during the Paul saga and he spoke about that pursuit as well.
“I just knew that in the summertime obviously (Paul) was a free agent, and I wanted to see where his head was. He didn’t seem happy, so after that we just took it from there.
“Obviously Golden State has been in the Finals and won two out of three, so that’s what everybody is trying to build up against. But we’re right there. We’re right there. Obviously, we have a lot of work to do, but it definitely puts us in a better chance.”
Only time will tell when it comes to evaluating whether the Rockets can even approach the juggernaut that is the Warriors during the 2017-18 season. Still, Houston’s upside is already intriguing with Paul on board and, if Harden’s chiseled physical appearance is an indication of brighter things ahead, the Rockets will be terrifying this season.
