James Harden has saved the Rockets with a run the NBA has almost never seen before, but it may come with a huge price
- James Harden is on one of the best offensive runs in NBA history and has helped the Rockets climb the Western Conference standings with an 11-1 streak.
- There should be concern with how much energy Harden is using only halfway in the season to buoy the Rockets.
- Harden wilted from fatigue in the last two playoffs, and is posting a higher usage rate than ever before.
- With Chris Paul out with an injury, the Rockets will need to get Harden some more help.
James Harden is on one of the hottest runs in NBA history.
Harden has scored 40 or more points in five straight games, joining Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, and Kobe Bryant as the only players in NBA history to do so.
Over his past 10 games, Harden is averaging 40 points, shooting 42% from downtown, with 7 rebounds and 9 assists per game, while the Rockets have gone 9-1. Harden's surge (most of which has been without Chris Paul) has helped the Rockets crawl out of an early hole and climb up to fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The latest and most impressive outburst of Harden's streak came on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors, as he scored 44 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists, while hitting the game-winning three-pointer to help the Rockets overcome a 17-point deficit and beat their conference rivals.
Read more: James Harden hits stunning game-winning 3-pointer to erase 17-point deficit against the Warriors
Harden's streak is such that Rockets GM Daryl Morey wondered to ESPN's Tim MacMahon if Harden is the greatest offensive player in the history of the NBA.
Much of the Rockets' offense is the James Harden show, particularly with Paul out. His 37% usage leads the NBA by six percentage points (among qualified players). In his last five games, his usage percentage is up to a whopping 43%.
According to Synergy Sports, on Thursday, Harden basically was the Rockets offense.
All of which leads to one question: How long Harden can keep this up?
The Rockets' offense leans into the talent of its two stars guards, Harden and Paul. They utilize both players' one-on-one and pick-and-roll skills and put the ball in their hands to make plays. It is not the Warriors' egalitarian style.
It's been undeniably effective, but they've had problems in the postseason. In the last two seasons, Harden has hit a wall in the playoffs, losing the bounce and agility that makes him so effective. The Rockets have admitted as much.
"As the series went on, I just thought he ran out of steam. We asked so much of him and he's human," D'Antoni said after the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Rockets from the playoffs in 2017.
In last year's seven-game Western Conference Finals loss to the Warriors, Harden appeared to also grow fatigued, particularly in Games 6 and 7, when he had to run the show without Paul.
It's unclear when Paul will return from his hamstring injury, but the Rockets will need other players to step up and give Harden a break.
The problem for the Rockets, however, is that the deep Western Conference doesn't allow for many off-nights. The Rockets have climbed within 3.5 games from first place; they're also just four games ahead of the 11th-place Dallas Mavericks. Sit Harden for a night, or go on a three-game losing streak, and the Rockets might suddenly have ground to make up again.
Morey admitted recently that the Rockets will be "buyers" at the February trade deadline. Even when Paul comes back, the Rockets will need to get more support for Harden if they want him to be dropping 40-point nights in the playoffs.