For the first three games of the season, it appeared as if the aliens from Space Jam had sucked away James Harden‘s talent. Last year’s MVP runner-up started the season with absolutely zero rhythm, putting up shooting lines like 6-21, 4-18 and 2-15. As Harden floundered, so too did the Rockets, losing each of their first three games by 20 or more points, an NBA first.
In the four games since that third loss, Harden has been on a tear. Save for a 6-22 performance, Harden’s scored 37, 42, and 46 points – that last one coming against the Clippers on Saturday night in what was Harden’s best performance of the young season.
This was all to be expected – not necessarily back-to-back 40-plus point games, but Harden’s general return to form. He’s one of the best scorers in the game, and there was no way he was going to shoot as poorly as he was initially for an entire season. His turnovers are still too high – he’s given the ball away five or more times in four games – and his defense is still, well, at typical Harden levels, but the Rockets can live with that. What they can’t live with is an ineffectual Harden. Luckily, it looks like they don’t have to anymore. So is Harden back? We’ll let him answer one last time.
