With an average of 36.1 points per game in last year’s 2018-19 campaign, superstar Houston Rockets guard James Harden had the NBA’s best scoring season in over 30 years.
The scariest part for opponents, however, is that Harden appears to somehow be even more dominant this season.
In 2019-20 games, Harden entered Friday averaging 38.2 points per game, which would be the highest total of any player in 56 years. But what’s most remarkable is that he’s not doing it on higher volume.
Though Harden’s average shot attempts are down slightly from 2018-19 to 2019-20, he’s averaging more points in large part due to superior efficiency. His overall shooting mark has risen from 44.2% to 46.1%, and his 3-point clip from 36.8% to 38.3%. Harden’s true shooting percentage, which also incorporates free throws, is up from 61.6% to 64.2%.
Most impressive of all is that he seems to be improving β rather than tiring β as the 2019-20 season moves along. Whether it was just an ill-timed shooting slump or the integration of new backcourt mate Russell Westbrook, Harden began the season for the Rockets shooting just 39.4% from the field and 30.0% on 3-pointers over the first nine games.
In the 24 games since, the 2018 MVP and newly crowned West Player of the Month for December is at 48.5% overall and 41.8% on 3-pointers.
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π @JHarden13 / December Stats
π 37.3 PTS
π 6.9 AST
π 5.6 REB
π 2.1 STL
π 1.2 BLK
π₯ 48.1% from the floor, 42.5% from 3-point range and 85.0% from the foul lineπ https://t.co/bpYRafybCW pic.twitter.com/wyVmxK5Acv
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) January 2, 2020
Dating back to last season, Harden has now won four of the last six Western Conference Player of the Month awards from the NBA.
Over the final 10 games of December 2019, Harden shot 52.6% from the floor, including 50.0% or better in each of the past six games β representing the longest such streak of his career. He has shot 50.0% or better in 16 of his 33 games played (48.5%) this season after doing so in 23 of his 78 games played (29.5%) in the 2018-19 season.
Excluding that initial nine-game slump, Harden has now finished at 50.0% or better from the field in 15 of his last 24 games (62.5%).
I wonder if there's a Westbrook effect to this.
A year ago, Harden shot 50%+ in 23 of 78 games (30%). This year, he's at 50%+ in 16 of 33 games (49%).
In his last 24 games (exclude 9-game adjustment period), he's finished at 50%+ shooting 15 times (63%).https://t.co/eDk8Tm43MF
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) January 2, 2020
Harden also hit at least four 3-pointers in each of his final 10 games of December, with an average of 6.4 made 3-pointers per game over that span on 49.6% shooting from behind the arc.
There are numerous potential reasons (and combinations of reasons) for those improvements. Perhaps it has to do with Westbrook’s presence on the floor as a second creator, or the faster-paced system adopted by head coach Mike D’Antoni after the team swapped out Chris Paul for the younger Westbrook last July. It might also reflect Harden’s insatiable offseason work ethic to continue enhancing his game.
Few small changes of note in that data…
β His percentage of shots after touching the ball 6+ seconds is down 5%
β His percentage of open or wide open 3s is up 4%
β His percentage of shots in last 7 seconds of shot clock is down 9%— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) January 2, 2020
Whatever the reason, the bottom line is that Harden is even more efficient in 2019-20 than he was in his dominant season a year ago β and the results are still improving even more as the season moves along.
Though he turned 30 years old before the season, Harden is showing no signs at all of slowing down. He and the Rockets (23-11) will look to keep that momentum going in Friday’s nationally televised home game against All-Star center Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers (23-13).
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