Houston Rockets: 3 takeaways from win vs. Warriors

2. James Harden is the best one-on-one player in the world

After missing seven games due to nursing a strained left hamstring, James Harden appears to be picking up his MVP campaign right where he left off, as the NBA’s leading scorer showcased exactly why he is the best one-on-one player in the game.

Throughout the contest, The Beard sought to take advantage of every defensive assignment he drew out in isolation sets, utilizing his ball-handling skills and jab step to create space and hit shots on the perimeter. In addition to this, he used his strength to drive and finish inside, punishing the likes of Stephen Curry, Shaun Livingston and Draymond Green in the process.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/954902888450576384

Although Golden State tried its best to make life hard for Harden by placing multiple bodies on him throughout the night, it was not enough to slow No. 13 down, as the league leader in isolation points over the past two seasons has taken his game to a new level over the last year.

Harden — who leads the league in scoring with 31.5 points per game — has scored about a third of his points in iso this season, and is among the top of the leaderboard in points per possession, effective field goal percentage and score frequency among players with at least 50 or more isolation possessions.

The All-Star guard appears to have a counter move for everything that opposing defenses throw at him, making him arguably the league’s toughest cover.