Prior to the NBA shut down back in March, not many people were giving the Houston Rockets a chance to win the NBA title. In the minds of many, the Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, and Milwaukee Bucks were the far and away favorites to make it to the Finals and get a championship. However, in their first two games, the Rockets have been able to change some minds. They had a convincing offensive explosion against the Dallas Mavericks and even beat the Milwaukee Bucks who are the best team in the league.
Today on ESPN's First Take, Stephen A. Smith expressed his feelings towards the Rockets' latest surge and is urging teams to pay attention as we move close towards the postseason. In fact, Smith believes the Rockets are a huge threat to the Los Angeles Lakers who some say will run away with the Western Conference. Essentially, Smith is claiming the Rockets should be seen as genuine title threats moving forward.
While James Harden and Russell Westbrook are certainly formidable players, their playoff abilities have left a lot to be desired over the past few years. With this in mind, it would be premature to call them title contenders. Regardless, it's clear that they are a team that are prepared to prove all of the doubters wrong.