Houston Rockets: Why we should enjoy James Harden’s latest stretch

Despite continuing to draw a criticism from many for his style of play, James Harden has worked mightily to cement himself as the clear-cut favorite to win MVP for the second straight season. Here’s why we should sit back and enjoy his most recent stretch of play.

For over the last decade, Houston Rockets guard James Harden has shown most court-side spectators why his game is truly unlike any other on a nightly basis.

The 6’5″, 220-pound Arizona State product — whose style of play once drew comparisons to Manu Ginobili — is regarded by his peers as one of the best ball-handlers and isolation scorers in all of basketball. The solo act whose career began with the Oklahoma City Thunder has recently taken his individual exploits to yet another level.

It’s been a leap so grand that it is often times preposterous to fully comprehend soon afterwards, as the reigning MVP’s latest length of dominance should leave many wondering if they are watching a player in virtual reality as opposed to live time.

In a current era where scouting reports and film study has become a constant necessity for teams to try and contain opposing players, Harden has proven to be their official kryptonite, averaging a career-high 36.3 points, 8.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game in his seventh season with the Rockets.

All the while, he’s carried the majority of his team’s offensive workload on his back, as The Beard appears to be a man on a mission, hellbent on earning his second straight Maurice Podoloff Trophy.

How, you ask?

Because Harden has returned to the hardwood playing his best basketball ever, and is doing things that your favorite player has yet to do throughout their entire career within a single calendar year of work, no matter what defensive looks opponents have sought to throw his way.

Over the last 21 games, the 29-year-old has scored 30 points or more in every single affair, en route to posting 41.3 points, 8.4 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 43.7 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from 3-point range during that time span, while providing hoops fans and detractors with nightly stat lines so epochal that it may leave one to examine their eyesight after reading them.

Yet that does not even begin to tell the entire tale of Harden’s spectacular run.

Since going on a scoring tear across the league, the seven-time All-Star has also helped Houston catapult itself back up from the lower depths of the Western Conference standings. The Rockets have won 16 out of their last 22 contests despite playing without the likes of Chris Paul, Eric Gordon and Clint Capela throughout various stretches. They’ve been carried by none other than former ASU standout come money time.

"“You don’t have to draw up anything,” Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle when asked about the face of the franchise.“He gets his shot anytime he wants it. He’s got his stepback going. When he has that, he gets as many 3s he wants, about 15 [attempts] per game. Then he gets to the rim with ease. Other than people just double-teaming him and trying to take the ball out of his hands — that’s when the rest of the guys have come into play, which they have been doing — I don’t see it ending.”"

Although fellow superstars such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard could easily be considered as legitimate candidates to win the league’s highest individual honor this year, nobody can deny that Harden’s enthralling display has helped him to rise back up in the conversation as of late.

The former Sixth Man has risen to become the NBA’s top attraction over the last month following LeBron James‘ groin injury. In addition, he’s cementing his status as one of the all-time greats to ever play the game of basketball.

Over the last five games, Harden has scored 261 points, and averaged 52.2 points per game in the midst of torching the following teams for totals so massive that you might think that he was Wilt Chamberlain in the modern day form.

Scoring the majority of the time out in one-on-one situations, one could easily argue that Harden has become just about as unguardable on the floor as the former big man was in his prime.

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Just last week, Harden continued to inflict his will against opponents, dropping 57 points on 17-for-31 shooting to propel the Rockets to a 112-94 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Toyota Center.

And yet was still not finished with fully carving out and slithering his way through defenses in any method that he could, as Harden recently put together the finest performance of his career in a building that is considered by many to be hallowed ground.

Just days after being named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the third time in the last month, Harden followed up his 57-point thriller by scoring a career-high 61 points and hauling down 15 rebounds at Madison Square Garden, becomeing the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to produce a 60-point and 15-rebound stat line in the Rockets’ 114-110 win over the New York Knicks.

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Now, basketball fans across the country should anticipate what comes next, as the man who has made nearly all of his shots without the courtesy of an assist, is presently on pace to join Michael Jordan as the only player ever to average at least 35 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals in a single season.

"“That’s one of the reasons why you play the game of basketball: to be when it’s all said and done, mentioned as one of the greats,” Harden told Feigen prior to his 61-point spectacle in The Big Apple. “Whether it’s Wilt, whether it’s Jordan…the list goes on.”“Obviously you want to win championships and want the individual accomplishments, but every day [when] I’m in the gym and work on moves, I think about that…I want my name up there with them. It’s a good place to be in.”"

So let’s take a step back and enjoy the show, because there just might be a slight chance that the very best is still yet to come from the league’s leading scorer, who appears to be willing to do whatever it takes to lead his team to wins even in the midst of a rough stretch.