Houston Rockets guard James Harden is one of the most lethal offensive weapons the game has ever seen. He's led the NBA in scoring the past two seasons and is doing it again this season.
However, there are a few guys in the NBA who have success guarding Harden, via Kirk Goldsberry of ESPN:
Top Harden Defenders*, Last 2 seasons
(Harden points per 100 matchups)1. Patrick Beverley (11.1)
2. Zach LaVine (14.0)
3. Wes Matthews (17.1)
4. D. Finney-Smith (21.8)
5. David Nwaba (23.4)*Out of 54 players with at least 35 matchups v. Harden pic.twitter.com/pBRZ4proDz
— Kirk Goldsberry (@kirkgoldsberry) November 14, 2019
Los Angeles Clippers fans are probably blowing up Rockets point guard Russell Westbrook's mentions right about now. The former MVP said after Houston defeated LA that Patrick Beverley doesn't play any defense and just runs around to start commotion.
However, numbers don't lie. The stats show that Harden struggles against Beverley. The Rockets superstar was 0-for-6 from the floor when defended by Beverley on Wednesday, but Harden finished with 47 points to lead the Rockets to the nine-point win.
On the season, Harden is averaging 38.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. He's shooting 41.3 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from beyond the arc and 88.7 percent from the free-throw line.
It appears Harden is going to lead the NBA in scoring for the third-straight season. The Rockets are 8-3 on the season thanks to Harden's stellar play.
It would be a lot of fun to see the Rockets and Clippers play each other in the playoffs just so we can watch Harden and Westbrook go at it with Beverley.
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