The Houston Rockets bowing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs, and thus losing another shot at the NBA Finals, sparked relentless speculations of a major roster overhaul. The team's stars are aging and the emerging future scenario is the expected break up of the tandem headlined by James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
The rumors further heat up when Mike D'Antoni stepped down as head coach and GM Daryl Morey followed suit. League observers are holding their breath on what will happen next. But Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta made the declaration that Harden and Westbrook will stay.
Fertitta said he remains confident that the Rockets can still shoot for an NBA title win and he sees no compelling to make a big roster change that will lead to the departure of Harden and Westbrook, or both.
"There is no reason to blow up your roster. This is still our window, the next couple of years. James and Russell are in their early 30s. We're not blowing up anything. We plan on contending. We're going to do whatever we had to do to win," Clutch Points reported the team owner as saying.
His statement is in defiance of the dim picture painted by analysts in the immediate aftermath of another failed campaign by the Rockets. In essence, Fertitta is brushing off the suggestions that Houston's chance of success in the NBA is low with the team still relying on the Harden-Westbrook tandem.
For him, the Rockets will press on with the core talents intact and he is optimistic that the team will find success soon. Fertitta seemed determined to stick with his stars and his faith in Harden and Westbrook doing wonders will likely stay strong at least in the next few years.
It would seem, however, that Houston's ambition is anchored on the notion that the team's superstars are dripping with talent, and with a bit of luck that championship would be realized soon enough. That could prove a fatal error when it seemed apparent that the Rockets will need to make the necessary changes.
At the very least, CBS Sports said Houston must implement the important tweaks that will improve the squad's general game plan. And the changes will also for the recruitment of new players, which is the way for the existing bench to get that much-needed boost.
Fertitta will need to ensure that the planned roster upgrades in the offseason will make an impact next season. CBS reminded that Harden, for instance, is already 31 and the frustrations he endured in the last eight seasons could convince him to seek a fresh start.
That could mean that if the right opportunity (which also reads as a tempting trade offer) presents itself, Harden would be more inclined to make the jump.
