Rockets' James Harden on Russell Westbrook Pairing: Talent 'Works Itself Out'

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden said Friday he doesn't share outside concerns about reuniting with backcourt mate Russell Westbrook, who was recently acquired in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Mark Berman of KRIV provided Harden's comment that talent "works itself out:"

They first became teammates when OKC selected Harden with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft one year after taking Westbrook with the No. 4 selection in 2008.

The guards both rank inside the top 10—Westbrook third and Harden 10th—in usage percentage since the latter's rookie campaign among players with at least 100 games played, per Basketball Reference.

Now, the question is whether having two players so accustomed to carrying the offense in the same backcourt will create problems as the Rockets attempt to reach a championship level.

"From a basketball standpoint, pairing a ball-dominant guard in Harden with a ball-dominant guard in Westbrook doesn't make a lot of sense on the surface," USA Today's Dan Wolken wrote. "From a chemistry standpoint, it would seem to hold the potential for disaster. And yet, what other choice did the Rockets have?"

Houston failed to reach the NBA Finals during the Golden State Warriors' run of dominance, and it watched the rival Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers make blockbuster moves in an effort to become the new kings of the loaded Western Conference.

Instead of sticking with the status quo, the Rockets opted to trade Chris Paul and draft picks to the Thunder for Westbrook in what's essentially an all-in move.

The Rockets' talent can't be denied. Harden and Westbrook will join Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker and Clint Capela in a star-studded starting lineup.

A lot of things must fall into place perfectly, starting with the backcourt chemistry, if the franchise is going to capture its first NBA title since 1994-95.