With league return looming, Rockets staying in shape during quarantine

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, USA Sports

With a league restart date officially agreed upon, players will now need to begin working back to the mid-season physical shape they were in before the virus shut down operations in the N.B.A. However, some Rockets players have already been grinding toward maintaining the peak physical states they were in prior to the virus, and in some cases have even improved upon their physique.

In an instagram post with his trainer Christian Polk (@cpolk41), Harden looked to have slimmed down during the quarantine break. Harden, known for his bulky frame that allows him to drive to the basket against larger opponents, was reported to have been consistently working out during the break, but the photo still seemed to surprise a great deal of people, his teammates included.

"I gotta see if the picture is real," teammate Austin Rivers said on an Instagram Live. "Cause [Harden] looks -- I don't know what he's been doing during quarantine. He looks good though."

In an interview with The Athletic in May, Harden detailed his workout during quarantine, and spoke to how he preferred the workouts that were taking place during the break. Harden also mentioned how he was working out two to three times a day.

"I've been doing a lot of cardio," Harden said. "I've got treadmills in my houses, weights, all that good stuff."

Photo courtesy of MJD Photography (@_mjdphotography) via Instagram

Fellow Rockets superstar Russell Westbrook was also seen working out on social media, with a video of him working with his trainer Ron Boss Everline and comedian Kevin Hart being posted in April.

Westbrook was averaging 27.5 points and seven assists per game before the league was suspended.

Even the lesser-heralded Rockets are putting in work. Guard Eric Gordon was also reported to have lost weight during quarantine, with reports stating that Gordon lost around twelve pounds since the break started, and that he was in "the best basketball shape" he's been in since becoming a member of the Rockets.

Gordon underwent surgery on his right knee in November after experiencing lingering soreness and pain in the area. He has thus far played only 34 games during the 2019-20 season, but is looking to contribute down the stretch of the newly-reinstated season in Orlando.

While the Rockets are staying in shape in large part due to the 82 game grind that is the typical N.B.A. season, one could argue that the implementation of this year's small-ball lineup, which demands a lot from the team in terms of physicality and athleticism with the lost benefit of height, places an added pressure on the team to stay in the best shape possible before returning to play.

The Rockets will look to make a push for a championship when play is planned to resume on July 30th.