Houston Rockets: Could James Harden return by next week?

Just weeks after suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain, James Harden could make his official return to the Houston Rockets sooner than anticipated.

After suffering a strained left hamstring late in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers nearly three weeks ago, James Harden appeared to be on the verge of missing nearly a month of basketball action for the Houston Rockets, as the 28-year-old shooting guard suffered the most severe injury of his NBA career.

Now, several reports have indicated that he could be back sooner than expected.

According to Kelly Iko of ESPN Houston, Harden will make his return to the Rockets lineup as early as next week, as The Beard was recently spotted hoisting up shots and taking part in team workouts earlier this week by Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle.

Despite Harden’s recent progress, Houston head coach Mike D’Antoni recently stated that the face of the franchise will have to sway the team’s medical staff first, as the five-time All-Star will be re-evaluated this weekend prior to the Rockets’ showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"“He’s going to try and push the envelope because he wants to play,” D’Antoni said, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. “That’s on trainers and doctors. I don’t figure into it. He’d beat me up.”“That’s one of the best things about him. He’s very competitive. He wants to be out there. He’s not. I’m sure he’s suffered every time we’ve played. But he knows he has to follow. He’ll push the limit. He’ll try to get out there as soon as he can, as soon as the doctors say he can, he’ll be there.”"

Although the Rockets have not provided anyone with a clear timetable in regards to Harden’s return, fans in Clutch City have to be eager to see No. 13 resuming basketball-related activities, after initial reports indicated that he could be sidelined all the way until February.

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Since Harden’s absence, the Rockets have posted a 3-2 record, scoring nearly 114 points per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field, while seeking to utilize the 3-point line to make up for the inside drives and free throw attempts that they typically get from the NBA’s leading scorer.

Over the last five games, Houston has attempted 44.6 3-pointers per contest, a slight uptick from the 43.3 treys they took with Harden in the lineup. They’ve relied heavily upon Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Eric Gordon to help them push the pace as of late on offense, as players such as Paul enjoy the luxuries that come with having the green light under D’Antoni.

"“I ain’t never seen nothing like it,” Paul said to ESPN‘s Nick Friedell following the Rockets’ 116-107 win against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. “I’m just now getting into sort of that mode. It’s fun because I get to get on guys for not taking shots, and I’m the guy that passes a lot of times.”“If a guy got an open shot, we take it.”"

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The Rockets will look to capture their third straight victory in the last four games, as they get prepared to square off against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns  Friday night.