First round: 2017-18 James Harden vs. 1988-89 Hakeem Olajuwon
No. 3 seed: 2017-18 James Harden: 30.4 points (44.9% FG, 36.7% 3-pointers), 8.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals per game
This was Harden’s lone MVP season as voted on by media, and it was also the most successful Rockets season by record (65-17) in franchise history. His new partnership with Chris Paul paid immediate dividends, and the Rockets cruised to the West’s No. 1 seed in the regular season.
While Harden’s win shares for the season are below his 2014-15 campaign, that’s primarily because he missed 10 games with minor injuries in 2017-18. Adjusted for minutes played (WS/48), 2017-18 remains the best individual season of Harden’s NBA career, and his 61.9% true shooting percentage is the best of his eight seasons in Houston.
In the playoffs, the 2017-18 Rockets appeared poised to knock off defending champion Golden State and secure the franchise’s first NBA crown in over 20 years… right up until Paul’s hamstring went out late in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, with Houston up 3-2 in the series. The Warriors rallied to win the series after Paul’s exit, but that season clearly showed that the Harden-led Rockets could win a title.
No. 14 seed: 1988-89 Hakeem Olajuwon: 24.8 points (50.8% FG), 13.5 rebounds, 3.4 blocks, 2.6 steals per game
The 1988-89 season was one of transition for the Rockets. Within the past year, multiple big names from the 1985-86 NBA Finals team such as Ralph Sampson, Robert Reid, Rodney McCray had moved on to other teams, leaving Olajuwon as the franchise’s clear centerpiece.
Led by “The Dream,” who played in all 82 games, the Rockets went 45-37 and finished No. 5 in the West. Houston didn’t yet have the optimal supporting cast that it would by the early 1990s, but Olajuwon’s showing offered strong evidence that he was capable of anchoring a championship contender in the years ahead with better personnel.
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First round: ’15 Harden vs. ’05 McGrady / ’93 Olajuwon vs. ’01 Francis / ’18 Harden vs. ’89 Olajuwon / ’82 Malone vs. ’74 Tomjanovich / ’19 Harden vs. ’13 Harden / ’17 Harden vs. ’14 Harden / ’94 Olajuwon vs. ’16 Harden / ’79 Malone vs. ’81 Malone