Turning Point

Already one of the biggest stars in the NBA, a switch to PG has pushed Houston Rockets star JAMES HARDEN to the front of the 2016-17 MVP race.

- Abe Schwadron

James Harden assumed Mike D’Antoni was joking.

“Our first meeting, he told me, I’m going to make you point guard. I looked at him like, What are you talking about?” Harden says. “He told me I was going to average 15 assists a game, and I looked at him crazy.”

Fast-forward to the present, and Harden is averaging an NBA-best 11.7 assists per game. OK, so it’s not quite 15, but Harden—an explosive shooting guard for the entirety of his professional basketball life until now— is all of a sudden No. 1 in the League when it comes to dimes, ahead of AllStar PGs you’d expect to see atop that category, like Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook and John Wall. Which, in addition to his still-insane scoring firepower, makes Harden the most unique offensive weapon in the NBA, and a front runner for MVP.

Who’s crazy now?

THE ROCKETS ARE at MSG for an early November matchup with the Knicks. A night ago, Harden put up 41 points, 15 assists and 7 boards against the Cavs, albeit in a loss. His individual numbers through the first handful of games this season had him on such a ridiculous historical pace that his name was flashing next to Magic Johnson’s on SportsCenter. And on this night, in New York, he’s determined to get Houston a W.

On the game’s first possession, Harden finds free-agent acquisition Ryan Anderson for a wide-open three. Assist. A couple trips down the floor later, he waits for Clint Capela to slide behind a back screen, then lobs him a pass over the top for an easy 2. Assist. He finds Trevor Ariza next. Another one. Harden will finish with 15 assists, to go with 30 points and 6 boards, and the Rockets cruise to a 19-point road win.