Victor Oladipo Says 'Better Days Are Ahead' for Rockets After James Harden Trade

Following his Houston Rockets debut Monday, guard Victor Oladipo lauded the team's potential to be a force in the future. 

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Oladipo said: "I know that better days are ahead for the Houston Rockets, and I'm looking forward to being a part of those special days."

Houston fell to the Chicago Bulls 125-120, but Oladipo put up big numbers as the starting point guard with John Wall out due to injury. He led the team in scoring with 32 points and added nine assists, five rebounds and two steals as well.

Oladipo was part of the four-team trade that sent James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets last week. Oladipo was sent to Houston, while the Nets shipped Caris LeVert to Oladipo's former team, the Indiana Pacers.

While Oladipo is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, re-signing him could appeal to the Rockets since he is still just 28 years of age and has two career All-Star nods and one NBA All-Defensive First Team selection to his credit.

In 2017-18, Oladipo was developing into one of the NBA's best guards. He averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

He followed that up with 18.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.7 steals per contest through 36 games the following year, but his season was cut short due to a ruptured quad, which also kept him out for much of the 2019-20 campaign.

Oladipo has returned to a high level of play this season, however, averaging 21.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals per contest in 10 games between the Pacers and Rockets.

After his final game with the Rockets, Harden said they "just aren't good enough" and could not be "fixed." While Oladipo is only one game into his tenure in Houston, he clearly has a different feeling. He said:

"We're not trying to be a good team. We're trying to be a great team. We have the ability to do so. We have the personnel to do so and the coach. Now it's all about doing it and buying into every day, every possession, and playing every game like it's our last. That's this team's mentality.

"We have to continue to get better, obviously, the chemistry continue to grow, the defense get better. But the mentality can never change, and the approach can never change. That's what we're all about, man. We're going to go out there to play with that chip, that brick, that whatever it is on our back, whatever is the biggest thing you can carry on your back, and go out there and compete for one another. If we do that, I truly believe we can be a very good team."

The Rockets own the second-worst record in the Western Conference this season at 4-8, but there is no denying that they boast quite a talented roster.

When everyone is healthy and able to play together, the Rockets will field a roster that includes former All-Stars in Oladipo, Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, as well as an up-and-comer in Christian Wood and some solid veterans such as Eric Gordon, Ben McLemore and P.J. Tucker.

Houston has had to deal with a ton of controversy and distraction so far this season, but with Harden gone and being replaced by a player who wants to be there in Oladipo, the focus can now shift toward the on-court performance of the team.