After a challenging start to the season, the Houston Rockets have looked like the contender many believed them to be. That is owed in large part to the historic season James Harden is having.
In fact, Marc Stein of The New York Times outlined in his newsletter just how impressive he has been when his team needs him most.
“Houston's James Harden scored 741 points in the 17 games that Chris Paul missed with a hamstring injury, good for an average of 43.6 points per game in that span. Harden's heroics, combined with the contributions Houston is getting from the recent signees Austin Rivers and Kenneth Faried, led to a 12-5 record without CP3.”
This season, the league has seen James Harden join the ranks of players like Wilt Chamberlin, who is the only other player to have a streak of more than 20 games scoring 30 or more points. He is also on pace to be the first player since Kobe Bryant in the mid-2000s to average over 35 points per game for the entire season.
It is no doubt that Harden has been putting up monster individual numbers, but the effect it has had on his team’s success has been the most impressive part.
After being just one game removed from an NBA Finals appearance last season, the Rockets have found themselves with an entirely different roster — one relying on important contributions from G League players or names very new to the team.
Still, Harden has found a way to make all the pieces work and has the Rockets in position for the playoffs. As they rework Chris Paul in to the lineup and expect Clint Capela to be back within weeks, it appears that Houston is far removed from their early season strife.
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