The Houston Rockets have been on an absolute tear to open up the season. Finishing last season at 54-28, Houston has picked up exactly where they left off, as they have exploded out of the gates to a phenomenal 19-6 record in the very tough Western Conference.
This being the Western Conference, that 19-6 start is not enough to propel Houston to a No. 1 seed. In fact, Houston is currently fourth, as they trail the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers in the upper echelon of the NBA. It’s safe to say that the Western Conference has a ridiculous amount of quality teams in it.
Now, a 19-6 start is most definitely impressive. However, there is no rest and no leeway for the Rockets. If Houston wants to keep up this awesome pace and get home court advantage for the first round, they must stay on point. The reality is, despite the hot start, just about every other playoff team in the West has started off just as well. There is only a 1.5 game difference from the current No. 4 seed and the No. 7 seed. With all of this in mind, we have to remember who has been the engine for Houston. That engine is James Harden.
There haven’t been many players who have had as much impact as James Harden this season. With the Rockets undergoing some serious injury problems, Harden has faced the biggest pressure of that. It is his team, after all, and he is expected to carry the team to the promised land, whether or not some players can play. Harden has been phenomenal this year. He has actually managed to step up his game, which is nice to see out of a player who is already one of the top players in the game.
A great example of how Harden has stepped up is his improved defense. He will still have some of his usual lapses in defensive judgement, but by all accounts, he has completely turned the ship around and has started to actually play on that side of the ball. The end result is that Harden has become a complete player and is leading the NBA in total Win Shares as a result. There has been an added effect to the fact that he has started playing on that end. It seems that Harden is expending more energy on that side and it has definitely affected his offensive efficiency.
Harden’s percentages from the field have tumbled. His slash line of .422/.329/.888 has not been his best work, save for his free throw percentage. Obviously, 88.8 percent from the line is excellent. However, 42.2 percent from the floor is his second-lowest mark and 32.9 percent from deep is the lowest mark of his career. Playing defense has taken its toll on his offensive efficiency.
With how great Harden has been for the team, naturally, MVP discussions come up. Though he has been great, whether or not he wins the MVP award really depends on who makes the playoffs. If New Orleans happens to make the playoffs, then Anthony Davis is my choice to win the MVP, as he has been absolutely ridiculous. Should the Pelicans miss the playoffs, there aren’t very many candidates who have better numbers than James Harden.