On the eve of Houston’s opening game of the 2020-21 regular season, a report emerged Tuesday that All-Star guard James Harden has recently had “multiple verbal confrontations” on the practice court.
Considering Harden’s reported trade request during the 2020 offseason, that anecdote naturally raised some eyebrows around the NBA. But as Rockets head coach Stephen Silas sees it, that level of intensity and competition could be a positive development for the team.
Here’s what Silas said after Tuesday’s practice at Toyota Center:
When you have competitive guys, you hope to have competitive practices. That’s what we have. That’s what I want. I want competitors on this team.
For guys to be competitive in whatever way, as long as it’s not going overboard, I love it. Maybe that’s just the old school in me, or the Paul Silas vibes. But I enjoy it.
Veteran guard John Wall said Tuesday that Harden “works hard each day,” with Wall identifying Harden as a team leader in the locker room.
With Harden leading the way, the Rockets will begin their regular season on Wednesday at Toyota Center. Tipoff between Houston and Oklahoma City is set for 7:00 p.m. Central, with the game shown regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and nationally on NBA League Pass.
