James Harden Has Best Statistical Season Of NBA Career

Trading away Russell Westbrook may have hurt the Rockets organization as a whole, but it is the best thing to happen to James Harden. As great of a player as Westbrook is, both him and Harden do not play off-the-ball and as a result, they did not mesh together well last season. 

By himself, James Harden is not only one of the best pure scorers in the entire league, but controls the fate of the Houston Rockets. The additions of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins help Harden big time because of the fact that both players will draw a lot of attention away from Harden, especially if they can both stay healthy. 

The best thing that can happen to James Harden is getting one-on-one opportunities with his defenders, which is exactly what he will have this season. He averaged 34.3 points per game last season, but Harden could average above 35 points per game this season and may flirt with 40 points per game. 

The only player in NBA history who has averaged 40+ points in a season is Wilt Chamberlain, who did it twice in his career. Not only is Harden going to be playing with a lot of motivation behind him this season, but being the only big-time scoring option on his team, he is set to have an even better season than last year. 

James Harden will lead the league in scoring for the fourth consecutive year and will be very much in the conversation for league MVP once again because of the “stat padding” he will do. Harden will be responsible for over 30% of the Rockets’ total scoring this season and is ready to have one of the best seasons of his career.