The Houston Rockets season ended on Wednesday night as they were blown out by the defending champion, Golden State Warriors. The 2015-2016 Rockets season was plagued by dysfunction, bitterness and lack of purpose. According to Yahoo Sports The Vertical, at the center of it all is the relationship between James Harden and Dwight Howard. An anonymous Rockets player told the Vertical:
They don’t hate each other, they just can’t play together.
A sentiment that was backed up by Rockets guard Jason Terry, who said:
I think those two have to be put in a system where they have to learn to play together. I just think they’re two different styles. They just couldn’t coexist to have success this year. Chemistry was a big issue for us all year long. We just didn’t have it.
It’s hard to argue with Terry on that point. Harden and Howard aren’t bad guys. Their individual playing styles, when not part of a structured system, are not complimentary. This is something Rockets GM Daryl Morey will need to address in the offseason.
Morey’s belief is centered around acquiring the top talent, which in a vacuum makes sense. But at the end of the day, championship basketball is about people and relationships. The people, players in this instance, must have a certain chemistry and cohesion on the court in addition to talent. When will Morey figure that part out?