Add former NBA point guard Muggsy Bogues to the list of optimists regarding the new backcourt pairing of James Harden and Russell Westbrook in Houston.
Speaking recently with The Score, the 5-foot-3 guard — best known for succeeding despite being the shortest player to ever play in the NBA — explained why he believes Harden and Westbrook are poised for success with the Rockets.
“Yes, it’s going to work,” said Bogues, who spent the majority of his 14-year NBA career with the Charlotte Hornets. “Mainly because those two guys respect each other. It’s all about the respect.”
Though Harden and Westbrook previously played together in Oklahoma City, Bogues cautions that both are now at a different point in their professional careers. As such, he believes Westbrook may have an adjustment to make.
“Those guys are in a different place right now in their careers,” Bogues said on The Score. “Even though they were together in Oklahoma City, Harden was coming off the bench at the time. It’s a totally different element now. Both are All-Stars, MVPs. The only thing they’ve got to prove right now is to co-exist.”
“You heard Westbrook say that he can impact the game without the basketball,” Bogues added, referring to Westbrook’s introductory press conference in late July. “I would like to see that.”
Bogues, who averaged 7.7 points and 7.6 assists in 28.6 minutes per game over his career, concluded his remarks by praising head coach Mike D’Antoni and his guard-friendly system in Houston.
“With D’Antoni, the coach there allowing that freestyle type of play, I could see a lot of headaches on many nights for opposing teams having to face those two guys,” Bogues said.
