Houston, we have liftoff.
Just days after a seismic trade changed the face of the Houston Rockets by pairing their new franchise face Jeremy Lin with the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year James Harden, this new-look Rockets team gets ready to kick off the season tonight against the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 p.m. EDT.
And the big question on the minds of Rockets fans is undoubtedly this: can Harden and Lin mesh to form a new winning formula for Houston?
It's no secret that Lin has struggled to get his bearings as the Rockets' newest member, turning in a dismal 6.3 points per game in the last six preseason games-hardly an encouraging number for a player that was signed this summer to be the focal point of the offense that Houston desperately needs.
And with few offensive options on the team that could be game-changers, things weren't looking good for Houston leading into their Halloween night game against the Pistons.
Enter Saturday, Oct. 27.
Harden was reportedly looking for a bigger payday with his contract expiring this season, according to Sports Illustrated, but the max contract he sought was too rich for small-town Oklahoma City Thunder's blood, already having stars Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka under max contracts.
That prompted the Thunder to ship Harden, along with Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook and Lazar Hayward to Houston for Kevin Martin, rookie Jeremy Lamb, two first-round draft picks and a second-round pick.
Not to diminish the talents of Aldrich, Cook and Hayward, but obviously, Harden is the Rockets' most important acquisition for several key reasons.
First, Harden gives Lin-who gave Amar'e Stoudemire a jolt when he was riveting New York Knicks fans during the "Linsanity" craze-a much-needed second scoring option. In an offense which relies on a currently struggling Lin, an extra scorer is a much-needed boon.
Second, according to Rockets GM Daryl Morey, Harden lays more solid ground for the foundation that the Rockets are looking to build upon.
"James Harden is a player we can build around, and continue to improve the team around his skills," Morey told the Houston Chronicle. "He's an elite offensive player, a complete player. He can pass, shoot, attack the basket. Even though he's a gold medalist, an Olympian and made the Finals, I still think he's an underrated player. He's absolutely someone who, when they see him step into the role of a star for the Houston Rockets, people are going to realize just how good he is."
Third, while this doesn't help them in the short term, trading Martin and Lamb has helped make room in Houston for a potential new star to land in the near future. With the 2013 free agent list including names such as Dwight Howard, Andre Iguodala, Ty Lawson, Josh Smith and Andrew Bynum-it's likely that if the Rockets are investing their point guard stock in Lin, they probably won't go after point guard and superstar Chris Paul in free agency-the Rockets are poised to make a big splash for the future.
Harden was a terrific playmaker with deep playoff experience on the Thunder, and pairing him with Lin can only mean good things for the Rockets, if they can manage to find their rhythm. Whether they do, fans can expect to get a preview of tonight in Detroit.
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