Will teams continue Harden Trap when season resumes? With no true 5 on floor now RoCo, Tucker and Green dare teams to do it. Harden sprinted out of the gate in his eighth year with the Rockets, needing little time to round into MVP form. He averaged 39.5 points and 7.8 assists per game in his first 20 contests, on pace to post the best scoring season since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63. Harden's dominance necessitated a change from defenses across the NBA. The solution was one of the most unorthodox schemes in league history. The Nuggets were the first team to institute their own 'Harden Rules', opting to double-team Harden on nearly every possession as he crossed half court on Nov. 20. The plan worked as Harden took just 16 shots en route to 27 points, kickstarting a three-game losing streak for Houston. The Clippers and Mavericks executed the same trapping scheme with solid results in each of the next two games, highlighted by Los Angeles' decision to double Harden in the final minute at the Staples Center. The 2017-18 MVP took the incessant double teams as a compliment, though they also served as a sign of frustration. "The whole season they’re running doubles teams at me. I’ve never seen that in an NBA game where you’ve got really good defenders and someone else running at the top of the key," Harden said following Houston's three-point loss on Nov. 23. "Y’all let me know the last time you’ve seen that." https://www.si.com/nba/rockets/features/james-harden-face-double-teams-2020-playoffs
