James Harden feels 'real good' day after bruising knee
While he declined to speak following Sunday's preseason game and the Houston Rockets haven't provided an update on his status, James Harden's teammates aren't too worried about their superstar.
Harden left Sunday's preseason game against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter due to a right knee contusion. He was later spotted walking without much issue, and point guard Ty Lawson relayed optimism from the MVP runner-up.
"He said it's not really that serious," Lawson said.
In case anyone was concerned that Harden may not be the best judge of his own health, his teammate Corey Brewer thinks players are generally able to judge their health for themselves.
"You kind of know if it's serious," Brewer said. "I think he just bumped it a bit."
At practice Monday, Harden more or less confirmed what his teammates had espoused on his behalf, saying that he was never worried and that he felt "real good" following post-practice shooting drills.
An injury to Harden would be a major hit for the Rockets, who have eyes on contending for a championship once again this season. They survived through injury troubles a year ago to reach the Western Conference finals, but losing their offensive star for any amount of time would be detrimental to their start in 2015-16.
In three preseason games Harden has largely taken it easy on the floor, averaging 14 points in 17.7 minutes. Last season, he averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, seven assists, and 1.9 steals, while leading the league in total minutes played.
The Rockets will likely provide a more formal update on Harden's status early this week.