Houston Rockets: James Harden Is Already The Real MVP

The Houston Rockets shooting guard turned point guard, James Harden, is putting up numbers the NBA has rarely seen, and yet he is overshadowed and overlooked by much of the so-called analysts and pundits.

The Houston Rockets shooting guard turned point guard, James Harden, is putting up numbers the NBA has rarely seen, and yet he is overshadowed and overlooked by much of the so-called analysts and pundits.

His numbers would point to an MVP level of play, but will anyone outside of Houston fans ever give him the recognition he deserves?

When James Harden came to the Houston Rockets, he left a team in Oklahoma City that received substantial love from the mainstream media, and came to a team in Houston that is often outright ignored by the same talking heads.

Players on other teams who are definitely very good players are given accolades for the same things Harden does every game, and yet the Houston Rockets de facto point guard barely gets any acknowledgement for his talent.

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In the 2015-2016 NBA season, which saw the Golden State Warriors give up a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Harden is barely considered by talking heads as even a foot note. Yet Harden led the league in total points with 2,376, which is coincidentally one more point than Stephen Curry.

He was 6th in total assists with 612, which is 85 more assists than Stephen Curry.

But this post isn’t about last season, it is about the 2016-2017 NBA season, and the ridiculously legendary numbers James Harden is putting up already.

James Harden: First player since Michael Jordan (’88-’89) with 30 points and 10 assists in 4 straight games — ESPN Stats & Info

Harden is averaging 31.6 points per game, 12.7 assists per game, and 7.1 rebounds per game in Mike D’Antoni‘s offense.

Through his last four games, Harden has more than 30 points and 12 assists per game.

For some understanding of just how incredible those numbers are ESPN Stats & Info tweeted out that James Harden was the first player since Michael Jordan (’88-’89) with 30 points and 10 assists in four straight games.

Of course, if that doesn’t make you ooh and ahh, then let me throw some more statistical love your way.

In the first seven games for the Houston Rockets, James Harden has 221 points and 89 assists.

Only four other players have managed those totals in nine games since the ’83-’84 NBA season, and no other player has managed those numbers in eight games.

And, of course, there will be those who throw shade at the Rockets guard for playing in D’Antoni’s high pace, up-tempo offense as being the main reason for the astronomical numbers,

But alas, we here at House of Houston cannot allow such tomfoolery to transpire!

For some perspective on just how truly legendary James Harden’s numbers are right now, I leave you with this final statistic.

The Houston Rockets currently rank 16th in the NBA as far as PACE.

So much for those numbers being heavily-inflated because of our new coach’s infamous offensive system.

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