James Harden on Verge of Joining Elite Company Atop Leaderboards
Houston Rockets superstar James Harden leads the NBA in assists and sits second to just Russell Westbrook on the scoring list. Should he finish the season in the top two in both categories, Harden would be just the fourth player in NBA history do so, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Prior to this season, only Hall of Famers Tiny Archibald, Oscar Robertson and Bob Cousy have accomplished the same feat. It seems nearly inconceivable that he doesn't finish on top in dimes given his 54-assist lead over John Wall for first in assists (71 over third-place Westbrook). He also sits 157 points ahead of Isaiah Thomas for the second spot in scoring, 182 behind Westbrook for the top spot.
The Beard leads the Rockets in points (29.3), assists (11.4) and rebounds (8.0) per game this season. His outburst has pushed Houston to the third seed in the Western Conference, placing Harden alongside Westbrook as one of the two favorites to take home the Most Valuable Player award.
Houston would be slated to square off against the Oklahoma City Thunder if the season ended today, pitting the two top MVP candidates against each other. The Rockets have won three of their four regular-season matchups, including each of the last three tilts.
Harden's new contract kicked in this season, netting him over $26.5 million for 2016-17 with an escalating salary in each of the following three years. His 2019-20 season is a player option, allowing him to cash in further should either the Rockets or another team be willing to up his salary. That's a distinct possibility given his level of play this season.
