Think You Know James Harden? He and the Rockets Are About to Change Your Mind

Sometimes we pull back a little from the world.

It’s not so much closing ourselves off as it is turning away from eye contact and leaning out of conversation, ignoring that thoughtful voice inside to give a guy a pat on the back or a extend a high-five.

So we share less—and take more of a just-get-stuff done mindset. That can be productive at times.

It just leaves a little less love in our lives.

James Harden has been there. It was where he resided last season, when the fragmented Houston Rockets were colossal disappointments and Harden’s superstar partnership with Dwight Howard ultimately failed.

This season, however, Harden has opened up again.

Behind that mountain-man mound of facial hair, the smiles will always be difficult to discern, but they will be there, perhaps to the surprise of many.

After all of the points he has scored (11,262 in seven seasons), we know Harden doesn’t necessarily burst into a sunbeam after a basket or a pair of free throws.

Perhaps it’s because what makes Harden happier is helping his teammates score.

He’s about to do more of that than anyone has ever seen.

“You see the joy in my teammates getting shots and making shots,” Harden recently told Bleacher Report. “They’re comfortable. Everybody’s happy. When they’re happy, I’m happy. It’s a different vibe. We’re sacrificing for each other. That’s where we are. We’ve got a long way to go, but for now it feels good.”

As far back as high school, Harden demonstrated an ability to be a creative force for his teammates. Even so, it took time for him to realize that new Rockets head coach and renowned offensive guru Mike D’Antoni moving him to point guard is a natural fit.

“It shocked me at first,” Harden said. “And I kind of thought about it, and I was like, ‘Yeah! I’m a passer. That’s what I do. I create. I create and I give people opportunities to make them happy, to make them score.'”

Harden loved passing this preseason so much that D’Antoni expressed some concern about him not being aggressive enough with his own shooting. Still, D’Antoni foresees a transformation ahead for Harden.

“Hopefully, he’ll double his number of assists, and he had seven or eight [7.5] last year,” D’Antoni said. “I hope he can average double that. He’s one of the best passers I’ve been around.”

When Harden, who couldn’t remember how many assists he had last season, was told about his coach’s projection, his eyes widened under those thick eyebrows.

“S–t! That’s 14 assists, brother!” he said.

Told it’s actually 15 assists, Harden began to chuckle.

“Coach trippin’,” he said. “Coach trippin’.”

No one in NBA history has ever averaged 15 assists over a season.

John Stockton averaged 14.5 …

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