Hardwood Knocks

Chris Paul is a member of the Houston Rockets. Yes, that happened. No, you didn't dream it. It was a real thing that went down over the offseason. Paul and James Harden are starting in the same backcourt. The Rockets have 55-plus wins written all over them. They have overtaken the San Antonio Spurs, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the new-look Oklahoma City Thunder, as the biggest threat to the Golden State Warriors. Or have they? Superstar formations take time to jell. Harden and Paul should be no different. There will be a learning curve, perhaps a steep one. But the fact that Paul and Harden wanted this matters. It means both of them should be willing to make the necessary concessions. At the very least, after opting in and delaying a long-term payday, Paul should be ready to do whatever it takes to thrive alongside Harden. Mix in the returns of Nene, Eric Gordon, Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela, along with the additions of Luc Mbah a Moute and P.J. Tucker, and it's hard not to see the Rockets as a budding