Harden sets records, changes game, ignores criticism
HOUSTON – After the public address announcer uttered James Harden’s name, the chants began.
“M-V-P! M-V-P!” a group of Rockets fans shouted from Section 114 of Toyota Center during a recent game.
They are not just any fans. They are members of the Red Rowdies – a group that began in 2006 and requires an audition for membership, which includes season tickets to see one of the NBA’s hottest players make history.
In a city where the Rockets play second fiddle to the NFL’s Texans and sometimes the MLB’s Astros, Harden’s play continues to make headlines and draw crowds to local bars to watch one of the league’s most electrifying scorers.
“People don’t love basketball here as much as football or baseball, but I love the Rockets. Harden definitely helps with his presence,” Alex Porter, a member of the Red Rowdies and founder of a Rockets fan website, told USA TODAY Sports. “If they didn’t have a big star like that, being a great player, a future Hall of Famer and the greatest offensive player of all time, fans wouldn’t be as aware. But hopefully they can win this year and change a lot of that.”
Harden has inspired the Rockets’ fan base as he has made his way into the record books. So much so that he already ranks high among Rockets former stars, including Hakeem Olajuwon, who helped them to two consecutive NBA titles (1994, 1995).
“He’s going to be my favorite of all time. But James moves up the list quickly,” said Matt Thomas, the Rockets’ home arena announcer and road play-by-play announcer for SportsTalk 790. “Hakeem had the Dream Shake, the jump hook and the blocked shot. James has got a repertoire that, depending on how he’s doing in a particular part of his game, can beat you in three or four different ways.”
Harden has weathered his share of criticism, particularly over his play during the postseason, when the Rockets have come up short time and again. They have failed to advance to the NBA Finals during Harden’s tenure and there always is finger-pointing around his drop-off in production in the playoffs.
“People can overlook that, or want to talk about the negative things, or the things they feel like they can talk about to belittle what I’m doing,” Harden said. “But I’ll continue to do it because, guess what? I’m not going to stop working.”
Harden can make step-back 3pointers, floaters or free throws at a consistent rate. As much as the Rockets have marveled at this for the past eight seasons, they believe Harden is just getting started.
“This year, he is better again,” general manager Daryl Morey said. “It’s unprecedented in NBA history for a guy to get better like this.”
Harden has averaged a leagueleading 39.3 points entering the week, marking the highest total by a player through the first 22 games of a season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63. Harden became the first player in history to average at least 35 points and seven assists. And Harden recently tied Michael Jordan for thirdmost 60-point performances in history (four) behind Kobe Bryant (six) and Chamberlain (32).
Harden led the NBA in scoring in each of the past two seasons (30.4 in 2017-18, 36.1 in 2018-19); recorded the highest scoring average since Jordan’s 37.1 points per game in 1986-87; and recorded career highs in free throw attempts per game for five consecutive seasons.
“He’s getting better every year and even more efficient,” D’Antoni told USA TODAY Sports. “We can put him on the hardest player on the other team. He still plays his 40 minutes and doesn’t get tired. I think he’s a lot better this year than last year.”
Harden is among the most durable players in the league. He has missed just 16 games the past five seasons amid a handful of minor injuries.
“You look at his body and it doesn’t look like he’s in the greatest shape. But he’s in incredible shape with his size and weight,” guard Austin Rivers told USA TODAY Sports when talking about Harden’s 6-5, 220-pound frame. “For him to be able to do that on a nightly basis takes being in incredible shape and focus.”
Although D’Antoni stressed guard Chris Paul helped ease Harden’s workload in the time Paul was here, complications still arose amid Paul’s injuries and personality conflicts with Harden.
Enter Russell Westbrook, whom the Rockets acquired in a trade for Paul last summer. Although Westbrook has faced struggles with his shot from deep (23.3%), he has helped the Rockets generate easy baskets by averaging 8.4 rebounds and increasing the team’s pace.
While Harden and Westbrook are ball-dominant guards, the Rockets believe the players’ varying styles complement each other.
The two guards remain close since playing together with the Thunder in Oklahoma City (200912).
“There’s no other duo in the league that has to deal with what we have to deal with because of obviously the attention that James and myself bring,” Westbrook said. “We haven’t been able to play a consistent way all season long because sometimes teams go zone, trap and do a bunch of crazy stuff they have never done before.”
Opponents’ defensive approaches often change with each possession.
“I don’t think you can give Harden one look,” Rivers said. “He is as clever a scorer as we’ve ever seen, and he’s seen every single coverage. He’s comfortable with all of them.”
The Rockets cannot dispute the difference in Harden’s regularseason and playoff performances in 2016-17 (29.1 points on 44% shooting, 28.5 points on 41.3% shooting), 2017-18 (30.4 points on 44.9% shooting, 28 points on 41% shooting) and 2018-19 (36.1 points on 44.2% shooting, 31.6 points on 41.3% shooting).
For a franchise that prides itself on studying analytics, though, the Rockets added context.
“The level of defense and the level of competition improves in the playoffs such that it impacts every player,” Morey said.
When the Rockets lost to the Warriors in six games in last season’s Western Conference semifinals, Harden still averaged 34.8 points on 45.8% shooting.
“I don’t see any evidence,” D’Antoni said of Harden’s perceived playoff struggles. “Has he had any 70-point games? No. Nobody in the playoffs does that.”