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The Houston Rockets fired head coach Kevin McHale 11 games into this season, which was a black mark on stars Dwight Howard and James Harden more than a sign of any coaching faults. The two driving forces for the Rockets (for better or worse) have struggled to co-exist on the floor, with Howard surely wanting an offensive role his skills can no longer fully support. Now there’s a sign the two wanted to be apart very early during Howard’s time in Houston.
According to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com, after a first-round postseason exit in 2014, Howard and Harden were angling to get the other traded after Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard sent the Rockets home for the summer with a buzzer-beater.
A report a couple months ago suggested Howard was unhappy in Houston, and in particular playing second fiddle to Harden, so it’s not shocking that friction between the two apparently dates back to before this season. Howard can still be a defensive presence around the rim, and Harden clearly thinks that end of the floor is an opportunity to catch his breath in pursuit of big offensive games. The current strengths of Houston’s top two players don’t mesh, and that’s a solid explanation for the current state of affairs in the franchise.
Howard and Harden’s presumably ongoing battle for supremacy is not a big surprise, all things considered, and it’s also what will hold the Rockets back until one of them is gone. Howard has obviously been the subject of trade rumors, which don’t seem likely to come to fruition before Thursday’s deadline. So when he all but certainly opts out of his contract this summer, we’ll see if that fixes anything in Houston.
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