UPDATE 2/5/19: James Harden agreed with Bryant's comments when he was asked about them following Monday night's game. "I have to be ball dominant because we have injuries," he told reporters. "For right now, he's probably right. This way won’t get us where we want to go. We haven't had a full roster yet. I'm excited for that." Harden added that he expects the team to change it's style of play come playoff time. "This way that we're playing, won't happen in the playoffs," he added. "It won't get us to where we want to go."
See original story below.
Kobe Bryant is confident that the Houston Rockets will never reach the mountaintop as long as the team plays through James Harden and his isolation heavy style of basketball. "I don't think that style is ever going to win championships," Bryant told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "But, at the same time, you have to keep your team’s head above water to win games, so you have to do what you have to do to win games, and he's doing that, right?"
"Not with this style of play, it won’t win, with one player dominating the ball," Bryant added. "Now, when you have Chris Paul come back, and you have more movement to the offense where you move guys around where you’re harder to find."
The Rockets are currently sitting in the sixth spot in the Western Conference with a 30-22 record. In January, however, Houston only went 8-6, despite Harden averaging 43.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.
Since Houston was able to reach the Western Conference Finals where they nearly defeated the Golden State Warriors just last season, it's hard to see the team veer too far off from the predominantly iso plays ran through Harden. Only time will tell if the Rockets do switch it up.
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