Apologies if something already exists. Not "giving up" on the season in terms of championship possibility, but it's been a strange ride, and just the amount of PPG Harden is scoring has been the most interesting part of the season thus far to me. MVP, no MVP. Great efficiency, just ok efficiency... whatever. Last night's 58 upped Harden's PPG to 35.4 average. This ties him with Kobe's high (Kobe is decimal points higher...). As of 1-17-19 Games played = 41 Points = 1450 Average = 35.4 Remaining potential games = 38 Average needed over remaining games to finish season at: 36 ppg / Must average 36.7 to finish season 37.1 ppg / Must average 38.9 to finish season 38 ppg / Must average 40.8 to finish season 39 ppg / Must average 42.9 to finish season 40 ppg / Must average 45.0 to finish season ------ MJ's highest was 37.1, so I used that above, which makes MJ the second highest ever behind 4 Wilt seasons. So to top MJ and only be behind MJ, Harden has to average 38.9 to finish the season. It's crazy... but actually possible
Man it would be something if he can continue at this rate for the rest of the season. Realistically I think he ends up at like 32 ppg. I just have a hard time believing he can keep putting up this many points even if he is making it look easy.
Not that this is necessarily an unpopular opinion here, but Wilt played against no one. Possibly the most overrated player ever.
Wouldn't that require like a 38 game stretch of under 29 ppg, (only 38 games left). Has he even had one of those in the last 3 years?
My prediction: Harden finishes at about 37.5 ppg, more than anyone else in history not named Wilt. The media two years ago: "You have to give MVP to Russ because he's doing something nobody's done since Oscar Robertson!" The media this year: "Harden is selfish and shoots too much, not to mention all the flopping and living at the free throw line. Giannis is your real MVP."
Wilt Chamberlain played in a league that was like 8 teams and African Americans were still being integrated into the league. It's really pretty ridiculous to compare now to then. Comparing eras is always difficult, but comparing now to the very early days of integration is just pointless.
tbh I think it might be time to stop asking if this "hot streak" can continue and maybe start wrapping our minds around that maybe Jamew has become unlocked.... just like Westbrook figured out the triple double glitch.... James may have found a scoring glitch ..... lol
I like the idea of this thread to keep tabs on his PPG. Can you add in the "must average" ppgs for 34ppg and 35ppg just to further the baseline.
This. Someone told me today that they think that Harden is shooting us out of games and they used our record over the last 5 (2-3) as evidence. I blew a gasket. Unbelievable how people move the bar for Harden.
fwiw: This shows that Jordan and Kobe's PPG are only higher because they played more minutes. from today's Chronicle According to basketball-reference Harden is on pace to top Jordan’s record for points per 100 possessions, averaging 47.2, .8 more than Jordan in his top scoring season when he averaged 37.1 points per game in 1986-87.
I really wish Harden didnt have a record to chase one season so we could only consentrate on the team and not make it just about him but Im guessing thats what keeps him on edge every game so I'll take it.
It's pretty necessary that he plays how he is playing. I bet if Chris and Eric were healthy, he wouldn't be shooting as much
I read something the other day about how there have been 118 individual seasons with a player averaging over 10 free throw attempts. James Harden only has 5 of them. You would have thought from all the spin that he was the first and only person to do this!
It isn’t more minutes, it’s that Kobe (and MJ and Wilt) played a faster pace. Adjusted for pace Harden is having the highest scoring season in history. Higher than Wilt’s 50ppg season. Oh, and at Jordan’s pace he’d have double-digit assists as well. Total points created per possession is quite literally off the charts.
