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NBA Player Power Rankings: Superstars Keep Making History

By Maxwell Ogden

Mar 26, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shake hands after a game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) shake hands after a game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 28, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts while playing against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Golden State Warriors won 113-106. Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 28, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) reacts while playing against the Golden State Warriors in the second half at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Golden State Warriors won 113-106. Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports /

2. James Harden, Houston Rockets

Position: Point Guard
Age: 27 (8/26/1989)
Experience: 8th Season
2016-17 Slash Line: .443/.345/.851
2016-17 Season Averages: 36.5 MPG, 29.3 PPG, 11.3 APG, 8.0 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 3.2 3PM

Daryl Morey built the perfect regular season team around superstar point guard James Harden. Time will tell how well this offensive juggernaut performs in the postseason, but Harden has the perfect cast of shooters and playmakers around him.

Any player can be surrounded by an ideal roster, but it takes a superstar like Harden to help that roster maximize its potential.

Harden, who’s averaging 29.3 points per game, has scored 2,169 points in 74 appearances. He’s also created 2,038 points via assists, which makes him the first player in NBA history to both score and assists 2,000 points in a single season.

That alone is reason to believe that Harden, who was snubbed for the MVP award he deserved in 2014-15, deserves the honor in 2016-17.

Harden began this past week by posting 38 points and 17 assists in a 117-107 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He followed with 22 points and 12 assists in a win over Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden had an underwhelming triple-double against the Golden State Warriors on 5-of-20 shooting, but he is making history and is as legitimate an MVP candidate as any player in the NBA.