Great find. Look we can just go to the statistics. No play ever (including Jordan and Wilt) has scored more points per shot at volume than Harden has since the beginning of last season. This is the reason that (including this year) the top 8 seasons on the Single Season per Game Average list all time are Chamberlain (x5), Jordan (x1) and Harden (x2). These three are the ONLY guys in NBA history to average over 36 points a game. Not Lebron, not Durant and not Curry. Jordan needed 27.7 shots a game to crack that list. Wilt averaged more than 28.73 shots per game in all 5 of his seasons. Last year and again this year, Harden is putting up over 36 a night on about 24 shots per game. For the last 1.2 years, Harden is THE most efficient volume scorer of all time. PERIOD. Every player in history would crack that list if they could crack it. That can't. Curry is a shooter. Harden is an entire offense.
NBA Media and fans don't have an appreciation for VOLUME and ATTRITION. It is what sets Harden apart. That's why I hate those stats that say per 36 and per 48 and extrapolate a full season. Not EVERYONE can withstand the attrition. You can't assume it.
You are exactly right. There is a difference between projecting success (the media’s expectation that Curry could outperform Harden this year simply by increasing his usage rate) and actual results. Hardens achievements are actual results over a career, not theory. They deserve to valued differently.
I can't tell you how many NBA media writers (not just twitter dorks) during Harden's 30+ 32 game streak felt like any number of players could *do that* if they got the same volume. Curry, Lou Williams etc. There are a A LOT of Curry lovers out there totally blinded.
I want to see Hardens put up a 40 scoring average this season and lead the Rockets to a title. There won’t be any way to argue against his greatness then without looking like a fool.
lol hard to argue against this Today’s Bill Simmons podcast talking about MVP through 10 games and all it was was a Luka and Giannis fellating session. And they even paused to ask are we forgetting to mention anyone? And the only name brought up was Lebron. Meanwhile..... https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/mvp.html
Listened to this on the way into work this morning and thought the same thing. It honestly felt like a troll when they paused and said "Anyone else? Anyone we are maybe forgetting? Anyone at all?"
2019–2020 37 PPG 40% FG 30% 3P 5.8 TO 2018–2019 36 PPG 44% FG 37% 3P 5.0 TO So far he’s averaged a little more than 1 point more than last year. His shooting both from the field and 3pt are career lows. His TO per game is a career high. He’s about to break his own record and set a new one.
Harden has the highest bar of any player for winning MVP. To get any votes he needs #1 seed in the West. And to flirt with 40ppg. Lebron, Luka, Davis, Kawhi, Jokic, Kyrie, Lillard would just need #1 seed and to play in enough games. Don’t really need mind blowing stats. Giannis probably has it locked up.
The record for most games to start a season with at least 10 FTAs is now owned by James Harden, with 11. Besting Adrian Dantley’s streak of 10 games to start the 83/84 season. I’m sure NBA Twitter will love that one.
James Hardens 3pt attempts per game have gone up every season. First season started at 3.3 attempts (37.5%). This season he is at 14 attempts (31.8%) How crazy
