Southwest Notes: Rockets, Grizzlies, Mavericks

Like his head coach Mike D’Antoni, who spoke this week about having to prove the critics wrong once again in 2018/19, James Harden doesn’t believe the Rockets have taken a step back this offseason. Speaking to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, Harden brushes off the idea that Houston blew its best chance to knock off Golden State this past spring and won’t get another opportunity.

“What we have right now is for sure good enough,” Harden said of the Rockets. “We have to realize nothing changes for us. You’ve got to realize: that was me and Chris [Paul]‘s first year together. Guys were asking, ‘Can they play together? How is that going to work?’ We made it work, and it was easy. Once training camp hits, we’ll work our butts off, and every single day we’ll just continue to get better and keep chopping away.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

  • In the second part of his interview with Peter Edmiston of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, Grizzlies executive VP of basketball operations John Hollinger discusses the decision-making process in the front office, team ownership, expectations for 2018/19, and the club’s focus on player development. On Tuesday, we relayed several of Hollinger’s comments on the Grizzlies’ offseason moves.
  • Appearing on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, TNT’s David Aldridge said he’s not surprised that the Mavericks are making an effort to accelerate their rebuild by signing DeAndre Jordan and trading their 2019 first-round pick. “[Team owner Mark Cuban] is not really interested in, I don’t think, kind of the gradual three- or four-year rebuild,” Aldridge said, per The Dallas Morning News. “I just don’t think that’s how he’s wired.”
  • While Anthony Davis figures to remain friendly with DeMarcus Cousins off the court, Davis is looking forward to trying to beat his former Pelicans teammate on the court, as he tells Angel Diaz of Complex Sports. “I wish the best of luck to him and we’ll see him three – maybe four – times this year, and try to beat him,” Davis said of Cousins. “Now he’s the enemy. Anybody who’s not on the Pelicans is an enemy to me. He went from a teammate to an enemy.”
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