The Houston Rockets are in position to perhaps accomplish what no team in the Western Conference has been able to do in the past three seasons: Take the No. 1 seed from the Golden State Warriors.

Heading into Wednesday's games -- on the last day of February -- the Rockets currently hold the top spot in the West by half a game. But while that would be a major accomplishment, winning the regular-season title is only one step on the way to the Rockets' ultimate goal of winning the Western Conference finals, and then the NBA Finals.

And James Harden is confident that Houston can do just that. Speaking to ESPN on Tuesday, Harden said, "this is the year," when asked about his expectations for the Rockets. While he didn't get more specific than that, it's pretty easy to understand what he's talking about. Via ESPN:

"This is the year. For sure," Harden told ESPN on Tuesday in an exclusive interview when asked what his expectations for the Rockets are this season.

"The front office -- [general manager] Daryl Morey and [CEO] Tad Brown -- those guys did an unbelievable job," Harden said. "From last year, bringing [Eric Gordon] and [Ryan Anderson] over. Then obviously adding [Chris Paul] and [PJ Tucker] and [Luc Mbah a Moute] and then you get [Gerald Green] and Joe Johnson.

"This is probably the best team I've ever been a part of, from top to bottom. The chemistry that we have, included with the coaching staff -- I mean, we're having a lot of fun."

Because the Warriors have won the West the past three seasons, and still have perhaps the most talented roster in the league, they'll likely be the favorites heading into a potential WCF matchup between these two teams. And that's fair. 

But it's also fair for Harden to feel confident that the Rockets can beat them in the playoffs. Houston has won 13 games in a row, has the second-best offense, the 10th-best defense and has beaten Golden State two out of three times this season. 

Plus, what else is he supposed to say? That he thinks his team is actually trash? Of course not.