Houston Rockets superstar guard James Harden has undoubtedly been the leading candidate in the early MVP race to start the 2017-18 NBA season. Not only is he the league's leading scorer at 31.6 points per game, but he has been the driving force behind the high-powered Rockets' 19-4 record as they sit atop the juggernaut Western Conference.
To no surprise, part of the reason for Harden's massive success this year has been his three-point shot. According to NBA Redditor swollencornholio, “The Beard” is the second-fastest player to hit 100 threes to start a season behind Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Stephen Curry:
Top 10 fastest to 100
Player Season Games to 100 Stephen Curry 2015-16 20 James Harden 2017-18 23 Stephen Curry 2016-17 27 Eric Gordon 2016-17 27 Ray Allen 2001-02 30 Kyle Lowry 2016-17 30 Ray Allen 2005-06 31 Gilbert Arenas 2006-07 31 Stephen Curry 2013-14 31 Ryan Anderson 2012-13 31
Harden has been a well-established three-point shooter ever since he came into the league. However, it is clear that he is letting it fly from deep this year. More importantly, the five-time All-Star has been hitting them at an astounding 40.2 percent.
There was some speculation that the addition of superstar point guard Chris Paul would somehow hinder Harden's performance due to the expected decrease in touches. Needless to say, that has not been the case as it seems to have helped him get even more clear looks from deep.