default-cbs-image

Shock waves rippled throughout the NBA landscape this offseason when Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were coming off a 73-win season but failed to close out a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals, much like the Thunder failed to do against them in the Western Conference finals. Durant decided he wanted a new chapter in his life and it was going to be on the Warriors.

Shortly after Durant signed with the Warriors, the Houston Rockets announced a four-year contract extension/renegotiation with James Harden. During the press conference for the extension, Harden was asked about Durant's move to the Warriors. He tried to stay away from an answer about another team but did mention that the Warriors will have to figure out how to exist with just one basketball.

From USA Today:

When asked about the Warriors and the competitiveness of the Western Conference at his renegotiation press conference on Saturday, Harden began by saying that his only focus is the Rockets and how they can improve upon a disappointing season.

Then came the ever-so-subtle jab.

"Obviously the Warriors are a really good team ... but there's only one basketball. You've got to figure it out."

This often gets said about teams that have stars teaming up. It was said a little bit about the 2007-08 Boston Celtics. It was said a lot about the 2010-11 Miami Heat. It was said again for the 2012-13 Los Angeles Lakers. It was especially said when Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings got together for the Milwaukee Bucks. There is only one basketball and maybe that's not an actual shot at the Warriors from Harden. But it's enough of a comment to warrant a reaction.

When you couple if with this letter from Harden to Rockets fans in which he mentions they're not a "super team," then you can see the Rockets-Warriors battles are far from over on the court or in quotes from the players.

Even Rockets owner Leslie Alexander chimed in during the press conference for Harden, mentioning the Warriors have to defend the Rockets when the two of them play.

Rockets owner Leslie Alexander added, "They have to defend us."
harden8472892.jpg
James Harden is cooking up some controversy. USATSI

The biggest changes to the Rockets this off-season are the hiring of Mike D'Antoni and the departure of Dwight Howard. Neither move screams that the Rockets will be great on the defensive end, especially when you factor in the signing of Ryan Anderson. D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns teams were better than people give them credit for defensively, but his time with the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers were defensive disasters, even in the year after the Knicks finally gave him good players to coach.

The offense should be stellar, as long as Harden buys into the ball moving more and not sticking to him in isolation so much -- even though he's a very good isolation scorer. D'Antoni will want pace but he'll also want the ball zipping around the court. But the offense has to be stellar if the Rockets are going to worry about the Warriors defending them as Houston most likely struggles to defend a lot of teams.

This probably won't be the last "controversial" comments between the Rockets and Warriors. It's been somewhat contentious over the last two seasons between the two clubs as the Warriors have mostly dominated them. The Rockets would love to take the crown of the top offense in the league away from the Warriors. Maybe they'll be able to do it, but they should probably worry about that defense thing their owner is mentioning.