Harden Continues Atmospheric Play, Leads Rockets Past Celtics, 127-113
He Never Left. A Difference a House Makes. Scenery Change.
A franchise can only pray and hope in desperation, that luck and happenstance (or some magic a la Daryl “Shufflin’ D” Morey) will land them a superstar. The Rockets were extremely lucky to get Daryl Morey as their General Manager. There’s no arguing he pulled off the greatest trade this decade, arguably the greatest in NBA history. Shufflin’ D gave away a few mediocre players and draft picks for Harden, the definition of a player that is the face of a franchise. The Beard. But James Harden is more than just the face of the Houston Rockets. Right now, as much as LeBron James’ move to LA is a topic that gets more conversation than Harden, the Beard is the face of the NBA now. And it all started with that statement dunk on JaVale McGee that Harden had against the Lakers, and then flexed in LeBron’s direction, as if letting him know he’s the face of the league now. LeBron is still the most popular player in the NBA, and certainly generates the most discussion, but like I stated weeks ago, that dunk by Harden was the play that turned Houston’s switch from off to lift-off mode. The play was a statement. The Rockets are 7-1 since, and Harden’s actions have backed his statement. The Beard was just reminding everyone he was back in the discussion for MVP. He never left. It just took a few bad calls and pokes in the Beard to get back to a level that I didn’t even see coming.
If you’re reading this, you probably don’t know me. If you do, when I say I know more about the Rockets than anyone, you know I’m not trying to brag. It’s just the truth. I can’t help where my heart and soul is, and they’ve always been with the Rockets. I’ve followed the Rockets since around age 3 (or as long as I can remember), and my life revolves around Houston Rockets basketball. As much as I love James Harden (I own 8 different Harden jerseys, alone), I never thought he could find that mental aspect of the game that is necessary in order to truly know you’re the best player in basketball. But the Beard actually found it. Harden knows he’s the best, and I’ve never been more impressed or intrigued as to what he can potentially accomplish. This season, with this Rockets team, even without CP3. James Harden is proving he’s more than just a superstar. The Beard’s a legend, in the midst of creating his own legacy as one of the best players to put on a jersey. James Harden is not only playing like, but knows, for the first time in his career, that he’s truly the NBA’s best player. You could argue against that last year, despite his MVP season. But this year, there is no argument. Harden proved that again on Thursday night, as he led the Rockets past the Celtics, 127-113, in another impressive win at Toyota Center. The Beard had another stellar performance, with his career-high 8th straight 30-point game. Harden finished with 45 points and has dropped 40 or more in half of the last 6 games, including 35 points or more in each. The Beard is in a zone few players in the history of the game have ever been lucky enough to experience. The toughest player to guard isn’t always the best player, but this season, Harden can make claim to both of those titles. The Beard poses a lethal combination of this status that makes him impossible to stop.
MVP? The annual league-wide discussion about who’s the NBA’s most “valuable” player (including the difference between “valuable” and “best”) is usually debatable throughout the season. Although, this season, there might not be much of a debate. Especially if Harden continues playing like a man hell-bent on a quest for revenge, while loading the box-score with video game like-numbers. Last year James Harden desperately wanted to win the MVP award. Understandably so, the Beard had been denied the award at least twice due to biased voting in the past, when he was clearly the league’s most “valuable” player. Last season, and in the playoffs, Harden wanted to win the championship. But, honestly, last year, did The Beard have that desperate sense of urgency necessary to win a championship? No. Sure, he wanted to win a title, but Harden wanted to win the MVP more. He’d been robbed of the award multiple times and that’s what fueled his incredible season last year. Now that Harden’s finally been recognized as the Most Valuable Player, he can truly believe it himself. Not that that the Beard didn’t believe he was the MVP. He certainly did. It’s one thing to know you’re the best, but to be finally acknowledged as the best, by your peers and the league, only instills more confidence in yourself. James Harden has more confidence than he’s ever had before. The kind of confidence that makes you can believe in the cliché “anything is possible.” This supreme level of confidence, in which you believe you can conquer whatever you want, truly can only come from within the deepest depths of the soul, that desire, the desire to really want to win. And this year, The Beard desperately wants to win the NBA Championship. The kind that motivates only the elite to do what no else can. Leading your team to a championship. Last season, James Harden was the Rockets most valuable player, but he wasn’t their leader. That job belonged to Chris Paul, and it showed when his injury cost the Rockets their shot at the title. But this year, James Harden is the Rockets’ leader, and the league’s MVP (the NBA hasn’t realized this just quite yet). The Beard is playing with the necessary sense of urgency required to win a title. If the Rockets aren’t the last team standing in June, don’t expect to see James Harden at a club anytime soon after the season, contrary to the infamous Game 6 vs. the Spurs. That game ended the Rockets’ season in 2017, and featured Harden’s most embarrassing playoff performance of his career. Shortly after the game, Harden was seen partying at a club in Houston. There will be no celebration, of any sort, if Harden doesn’t get to hold the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. This season, look closely, and you’ll see Harden desperately wants to win the NBA Championship, this year more than any season in his career, like winning the title is some sort of personal vendetta for the Beard and his growing legacy.
Meanwhile, as the reigning-MVP continues to put the NBA on notice, Clint Capela has slowly emerged as the best rebounder in the NBA. Capela has pulled down a monstrous 64 rebounds in his last 3 games, alone. Houston’s big man is proving he’s more than just a double-double machine, and even impressing me with his consistency and dominance over whomever he faces off against in the paint (it doesn’t get any tougher next for Clint, as he travels to take on Anthony Davis). Clint Capela may still be unfamiliar to many outside of Houston, but he’s starting to play like an All-Star every night. I will be shocked if he’s not named to be an All-Star this season, he truly deserves a spot. Although I won’t be too shocked, as the center position has been taken away from All-Star voting, and Capela will be in a mix of the NBA’s best (and most popular) forwards. Nonetheless, Capela is so important to the Rockets success, his dominance on the glass have creates so many second chance opportunities that have result in changed possessions, which result in changed games, which result in changed seasons. Clint Capela makes a HUGE difference. He’s not James Harden, but the Rockets can’t win a championship without Capela. And their House. Not the arena they play in, the Toyota Center. Their clutch in-season acquisition and fellow-Houstonian, Danuel House Jr., who is quietly the most overlooked player in all of sports at the moment. At least when it comes to winning, House is an (if not, the) X factor. He’s more than filling in for Trevor Ariza. Along with the addition of Austin Rivers, who had another solid performance in only his second game as a Rocket, the new additions to this season’s Rockets team actually fit better than Trevor Ariza and Luc M’bah a Moute, the key components Houston lost in the offseason. Again, the genius of Daryl Morey and his ability to make changes in-season to improve his teams is astonishing. Last year, Gerald Green was the guy who came out of nowhere to spark the Rockets. This year, it’s Danuel’s House.
Houston is 8-1 in their last 9 games. Out of all the possible 3-man combinations the Rockets have used during this 9-game stretch, Danuel House is in each of the top 6 in terms of plus/minus, or net rating. That is simply an astonishing stat that cannot be overlooked. There’s no coincidence the Rockets have been better since they got House. The Beard’s the best in the world, Capela’s playing better than ever, but House contributes no matter who is on the floor. I’m not a big stat guy but this stat is too important not to discuss. House also is in the top 5 duos during the stretch, with him and Gerald Green (The GreenHouse Effect) being the top plus/minus duo for the Rockets. No, not Harden and Chris Paul. Or Harden and Capela. Green and House. The GreenHouse Effect is real and it may not show up in the glossy part of the box score but if you pay close enough attention, the fellow Houstonians bring a unique defensive intensity with them to floor along with an amazing ability to space their floor with their respective shooting threat from outside. They, along with Rivers are the key to the Rockets bench. And James “Ennis the Menace” is still out with an injury, and he’s a starter. Factor in a healthy Chris Paul, and once Eric Gordon (who’s quietly getting better with each game) returns to the bench, you have one of the deepest, most versatile teams in the league with, James Harden, who, beyond a doubt, is the best player in the NBA this season. Thursday night, the Rockets beat another contender without Chris Paul. Houston held Kyrie Irving to only 23 points, despite some clutch 3’s to keep the Celtics in the game in the 2nd half. Capela’s 24 point’s and 18 rebounds secured the paint. Eric Gordon scored 20-points on improved shooting, and the hustle of P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, and Gerald Green was contagious. The entire squad wanted it more than Boston and Houston proved that last night. Austin Rivers, Nene, the entire team really played exceptionally well. Every single player contributed in some way or form to the victory, despite the Beard getting the majority of the credit. That often doesn’t happen in NBA basketball, the Rockets will need to keep playing with this team effort if they want to avoid wearing down the Beard’s workload and keep winning without Chris Paul.
Up next, the Rockets face a change of scenery after being home for a while. They travel to New Orleans to face the Pelicans and the best big man in the NBA, Anthony Davis. The Pelicans always seem to give Houston a challenge, and they embarrassed the Rockets in their home opener at Toyota Center. Anthony Davis is as tough they come. Outside of Harden he’s arguably the league’s best player, certainly the NBA’s best man in the paint. The Rockets will be looking for some revenge for their season-opening loss to the Pelicans. Lucky for Houston, they’ve got their main-man, on a quest for revenge, don’t expect Harden to stop his mission for anyone. Opponents can only pray he misses. Lately, their prayers haven’t been answered by the basketball-gods. The same basketball-gods, that give Houston the injury bug, at the worst of times. But these basketball-gods also gave the Rockets Daryl Morey, who got them James Harden. Injuries affect every team, every season. Despite all their injuries the Rockets have Harden, who scored 45-points on a night he was questionable to play. What he can bring come playoff time could be something truly special. The Rockets will likely have some sort of injury situation, as most teams can’t endure an 82-game season unscathed. However, the Rockets have James Harden, the NBA’s best player, who seems to also be the league’s most durable (especially considering LeBron just suffered the first lengthy injury of his entire career, another sign of the passing of the torch from one James to another). No matter who the Rockets will have, come playoff time, bet on James Harden being ready to go. And he wants a different trophy this season. The Warriors aren’t exactly themselves either as poisonous chemistry slowly destroys their season, and their “dynasty”, or whatever they had. If the Rockets and Warriors meet in a rematch to go to the Finals, this time the best player is James Harden (not Curry, Durant, etc.), and the team with the best player usually wins, especially when he’s desperate.