Daryl Morey: James Harden Could Be 'Best Offensive Player of All Time'
After James Harden rallied the Houston Rockets from a 20-point second-half deficit against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night with 44 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds, general manager Daryl Morey had high praise for the reigning MVP.
"You could argue for him as the best offensive player of all time," Morey told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "To be able to say that with a straight face, and not have it be GM speak or coachspeak, is pretty amazing. There's a whole bunch of ways to measure it, but he's for sure in the conversation as the greatest offensive player ever."
That's a similar sentiment to what Chris Paul said last month.
"He's the best offensive player I've ever seen," he told the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. "I mean, seriously. He can drive. He can shoot. He's got ball-handling. It's going to be a tough night for whoever it is. I don't care what you're doing."
Paul and Morey may be biased, but it's hard to argue with the numbers.
He is averaging 41.1 points per game over his last 11 appearances, putting him at an NBA-best 33.6 points per game for the season. Thursday night marked his fifth consecutive game with at least 40 points, making him just the fifth player in the last 50 years to accomplish that, according to SportsCenter.
With 10 triples against the Warriors, Harden became the first player in league history to make five-plus three-pointers in eight consecutive games, per NBA.com.
His recent tear has Morey searching for words.
"He's at a level that almost nobody in NBA history has been at," Morey said. "We're obviously focused on April and beyond, but it's special to watch right now."
This season didn't get off to the smoothest of starts for Harden, who missed three games during the first month because of a strained left hamstring. However, he has found a rhythm and has his sights set on back-to-back MVPs.
"I need it," Harden said Wednesday, per The Athletic's Kelly Iko. "I need it for sure, and I'm gonna get it."
After stumbling out of the gates to an 11-14 start, the Rockets have won 11 of their past 12 games to climb atop the Southwest Division standings and fourth overall in the West.
