[ESPN] Scoring the Harden Way

rockbox · Nov 5, 2014

http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/98164/tuesday-night-nba-recap-red-hot-rockets

The Houston Rockets have launched to their best start since the Hakeem Olajuwon glory days and done so in extremely impressive fashion. Here are some key numbers surrounding the NBA’s most impressive team thus far.

Sending fans home early
The Rockets have an average margin of victory of 14.2 points, with no team coming closer than 11 points. In doing so, they have become just the second team in NBA history to start a season with five straight wins by more than 10 points, the last being Alex English’s 1985-86 Denver Nuggets.

A prolonged undefeated start has typically foretold playoff success in Rockets franchise history. The last three times Houston began a season at least 5-0, they reached the Western Conference Finals and twice won NBA Championships. All four of their previous 5-0 starts came in the Olajuwon era.

Scoring the Harden way
James Harden doesn’t need to make many shots. In fact, he hasn’t, shooting just 39 percent without making more than seven field goals in any of his five games. Despite this, he is third in the NBA in scoring at 27.2 points per game. Harden has done this by capitalizing at the line, making 10 free throws in four of five games and at a rate only Kobe Bryant has reached to start a season during the last 20 years.

Taking that further, over the last three games Harden has scored 86 points while making just 18 field goals. According to Elias, 18 field goals are the fewest in NBA history for a player with 85 or more points in a three-game span.

Harden has contributed more than just points. He is the just the fourth player in the last 30 years to average at least 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds over the season’s first five games.

27+ PPG, 6+ RPG, 7+ APG
1st 5 Games of Season, Last 30 Seasons

Season

James Harden 2014-15<<
LeBron James 2007-08
Kobe Bryant 2001-02
Larry Bird 1987-88
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JHarden713 · Nov 5, 2014

MVP

Dave_78 · Nov 5, 2014

6 rebounds and 7 assists from a SG is sick.

rockbox · Nov 5, 2014

Dave_78 said: ↑

6 rebounds and 7 assists from a SG is sick.
Click to expand...

Those are sick numbers, but Harden plays pg part of the game.

WinkFan · Nov 5, 2014

rockbox said: ↑

Those are sick numbers, but Harden plays pg part of the game.
Click to expand...

There are only 6 PG averaging more assists than Harden.

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