8. James Harden’s historic scoring feats
Say what you want about the methods he uses as he goes about his job, but a simple look at the raw scoring numbers James Harden has been producing lately highlights the ridiculous levels he’s been reaching.
Since Jan. 1, Harden has 55 30-point games. The next closest player has 30. The Beard has 28 40-point outings. The second player on that list comes in with just eight. Harden has more 50-point games by a margin of 11-2 and he’s had three games of at least 60 compared to just one other instance across the NBA.
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Harden averaged the most points in a season since Michael Jordan in 1986-87 with 36.1 points per game and he’s somehow topping that so far this season by dropping 38.7 a night across the season’s first 24 games.
Remember when 40- and 50-point performances used to be these rare feats of individual greatness the NBA world was only blessed with a handful of times a season?
That appreciation is long gone and Harden’s normalization and ease with which he performs what is truly a difficult craft is a big reason why.
We marveled at Jordan and stood in awe at Kobe Bryant. James Harden doesn’t compare to either Hall of Famer where it counts, but he’s scoring at a rate exceeding anything either has ever done.
Championships or not, that scarcely matched level of greatness has to count for something at a certain point, doesn’t it?