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James Harden hasn’t made it to the Rockets’ camp and yet he can still pull the strings behind the scenes.
New Rockets coach Stephen Silas didn’t say much about Harden and the rumors he would be unhappy in Houston on Thursday.
But he was clear on one thing – he expects Harden to be there when the Rockets open camp this weekend.
“I am confident he will be 100%,” Silas said. “This is where I’m going. Like I said, I gave her the space to do her thing. But I’m sure he’ll be there when we start.
So far, Harden has not been featured, according to the New York Times, even as his Rockets teammates have arrived for individual practices.
Reports that Harden wants out of Houston have swirled since another early exit from the Rockets’ playoffs when they were knocked out by the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. Harden reportedly asked the Nets for a trade, although Kevin Durant has denied the rumor that the two had conversations to that end.
There were rumors that Harden and Russell Westbrook wanted to leave the team. Westbrook got his wish on Wednesday night when he was shipped to Washington for John Wall and a first-round pick.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that Harden preferred Wall to Westbrook.
Westbrook only lasted one season in Houston playing with Harden and an unconventional smallball formation. Now Westbrook and that little ball formation are a thing of the past, with Westbrook heading to the Nation’s Capital and center DeMarcus Cousins joining the Rockets.
Silas is a longtime NBA assistant in his first job as a head coach after being hired to replace Mike D’Antoni, who told the Rockets he would not return at the end of the season. Silas said he had not spoken to Harden since the exchange and had so far used a hands-off approach with the superstar.
“When stuff like that kind of thing happens, where there’s a little indecision and stuff that goes on, I take a step back and give the guys a little room,” Silas said. “So from my perspective, my communication was that I give you space. And that’s kind of where it happened in terms of my communication with him. And guys like that need it.
Silas is excited to add a player of Wall’s caliber to his squad, but admitted he had mixed emotions when he learned the trade.
“Without Russell Westbrook, I probably wouldn’t have this job,” Silas said. “So the fact that he vouched for me in the interview process was one of the first things I thought about when the exchange was made.”
Then he remembered all his years as an assistant to Charlotte when he had to plan to defend Wall four times a year.
“The second part is John Wall’s drive in his career and some of the nightmares I’ve had trying to defend him and pick and roll and all the pick and roll passes he’s capable of,” said Silas said.
Also Thursday, Cousins spoke to reporters for the first time since signing with the Rockets earlier in the week. The 30-year-old has said he is in good health and is eager to start after missing all of last season recovering from a knee injury.
“It was a tough task, mentally, physically, but at the same time I was able to rest my body and it was a much needed rest,” Cousins said. “Coming back from that, I feel amazing, my body is in a great place, my mind is in a good place and I’m just ready to get back to the ground and play the game that I love.”
He is also delighted to reunite with Wall, his varsity teammate in Kentucky. Cousins said he had known Wall since he was 14 and the point guard was a best man at his wedding.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Cousins said. “This is something he and I have been planning and dreaming about for a long time. So I’m pretty sure he’s just grateful for this moment that I am.
– With AP
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