The 5 Players Under the Most Pressure this NBA Season

James Harden

Two years ago, the Houston Rockets finished as the second best team in the Western Conference where they went on to face the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. James Harden was voted by the players as their MVP of the league and the Rockets were on the rise.

Then the 2015-16 season happened.

Houston brought back the same core where they finished with a .500 record as the 8th seed in the West. Team chemistry was being questioned, Harden’s defense was in the spotlight, and the Harden/Dwight Howard relationship was on the forefront.

More from The Smoking Cuban

• Dallas Mavericks: Tyrell Terry injures groin in summer league loss to Jazz
• Mavericks: How to maximize Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis pairing
• Dallas Mavericks: Did they do enough this offseason to jump into title contention?
• Mavericks: What to watch for as Dallas faces Utah Jazz in summer league
• Dallas Mavericks rumors: Bulls want first round pick for Lauri Markkanen

Now Houston has done everything to cater to their star. They brought in an offensive minded guru as a head coach, put shooters around Harden in Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon, and let Howard walk in free agency. On top of that, Houston signed Harden to a new extension that makes him one of the highest paid players in the league.

Now it’s on James Harden to get Houston back into contention. It’s on Harden to prove to people that he can play defense and that he is a team oriented player. It’ on Harden to show the rest of the league that Houston (and himself) is a viable destination for a next big free agent.

The pressure is on for DeRozan, Conley, Beal, Barnes, and Harden.