NBA Rumors: James Harden created tension with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins
The aftermath of the James Harden trade continues to reveal very interesting information regarding the state of the Houston Rockets. The Rockets were clearly not getting along in the locker room, with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins making some very strong statements in recent days on the team's chemistry issues.
The Houston Rockets made efforts to keep Harden in Houston, notably the addition of John Wall, but these efforts fell short as Harden repeatedly displayed his displeasure. James Harden seemed to be worried more about himself than the team, and the team eventually had enough.
NBA Rumors: John Wall and Demarcus Cousins still feuding after James Harden's departure
The hostility created in the Houston locker room by James Harden extended beyond a simple dispute, and has now effected the relationship between teammates John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, per NBA insider Kevin O'Connor.
He reports that Wall and Harden had animosity from the beginning of their relationship as Wall sees himself as a face-of-the-franchise type of player and Harden stood in the way of that happening.
Wall and Cousins have established leadership positions in Houston’s locker room, yet both were traded because of their apparent negative influence on teams looking to make fresh starts. - Kevin O'Connor
DeMarcus Cousins has been off to a rough start in the 2020-21 season, averaging only 6.9 points per game. The Rockets are currently 3-6 overall, and sit in 14th place of the Western conference. If the Rockets are going to contend for a playoff spot this season, they will need to come together as a unit and build a new system around the players they have.
The Rockets will hope to press the reset button on this season, and take as many positives out of this situation as possible. The acquisition of Victor Oladipo from Indiana will help to kick-start the Houston offense, and hopefully the absence of James Harden can allow for a new Houston Rockets team to be born.