With 53 points tonight, Harden is now averaging 35.24 point per game passing 1972 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and 1988 Jordan to enter the Top 10 all time list at #9 in Points per Game in a season. At this point, the only players to EVER average more points per game in a season are named Chamberlain, Jordan, Bryant and Barry. And Kobe and Barry are going to be passed really quickly at this pace.
58 points gets Harden to 35.37 PPG just .03 behind Kobe for #8. Here is the list. Harden could pass Kobe and Barry in the next game. https://www.landofbasketball.com/all_time_leaders/points_per_game_single_season.htm Would have rather had the win there than a huge game from Harden.
Don't expect this scoring outburst when Paul comes back. Harden will settle back down to his usual 30ppg or so average from that point on.
I have a hard time giving equal credit to pre-merger stats. The quality level of the league was SO different from today. I see that list as Harden #3 behind Kobe and Jordan.
Favorite stat from that? Only Kareem had a higher eFG%, and Harden leads all in TS% The deviation between FTA is roughly 1 free throw. Does anyone know what Harden would need to average in order to beat Michael? Or Kobe? Like 38 points or 36 for the rest of the season, right?
I'm so pissed we're wasting one of the basketball greats in his prime. If we're truly in win-now mode, we need to mortgage our future instead of half-assing it.
Signing Cp3 is mortgaging our future. Realistically what else can we do? We have no great assets, we're over the cap...
Yes - 36 per game puts Harden ahead of Kobe. He needs more like 39 per game puts him ahead of Jordan.
