The NBA season is just a week old, yet the drama and surprises are just beginning in a league that anything can happen.
The Lakers are surprisingly 0-3 despite having the strongest starting lineup of the league. Eric Gordon's lame knee injury that led to speculation that he didn't want to be part of my beloved New Orleans Hornets. Rajon Rondo clothes-lined Dwayne Wade in the waning seconds of their opening game. James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets.
These were just some of the surprises NBA has to offer in their initial week of their season.
Sure, we've heard the news. James Harden rejected Oklahoma City Thunder's contract extension, forcing GM Sam Presti to trade Harden,Cole Aldrich,Lazar Hayward and Daequan Cook to Houston for rookie Jeremy Lamb,Kevin Martin, 2 first round picks and a second round pick. But what surprises me is how Harden played in his first 2 games as a Houston Rocket.
2 games, 2 victories. 80 to go for the season.
Harden is averaging an eye-popping 41 points 6.5 rebounds and 7 assists in his first 2 games. Unrealistic wise, these averages will surely drop. The law of average will caught up with him. But surprisingly, no one ever thought this guy was this good. Sure we can argue that the 2 teams he faced has no primary or lockdown defender(Detroit and Atlanta) but his numbers were way beyond expectations and too good for a NBA player.
$80 million dollars. This is the figure that caused Harden to spurn the Thunder for Rockets. Sam Presti never recognized the man's talent. A former sixth man of the year asking for a superstar salary figure? Not even close. That's why Presti traded this guy in fear he would get nothing in return during the offseason. He kept Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka(a walloping $48M in 4 years). He underestimated Harden when it comes to number figures so that caught up with him, knowing his organization is a small market one.
Harden has yet to face the elite players of the NBA in Wade, Rondo, Kobe, Eric Gordon(Nah.. I'm just kidding on the Gordon thing) and Paul, but one's things for sure. He is the real deal. The Houston Rockets future looked bleak with the contracts they used to signed Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik. Everyone thought that the Rockets will be bankrolled-stripped in the next 2 years but with the arrival of Harden, his contract and his play has given other free agents-to-be to consider Houston as their next destination.
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| Durant and Westbrook, fearing their worst nightmare |
From the time Harden stayed with the Thunder, he learned a lot from coach Scott Brooks. 2 years with Thunder made him realize when to shoot, pass and even taking over a ballgame, which Kevin Durant usually does.
This time around, it's his turn to take over a ballgame. Thanks largely to Durant and his ball-hogging skills.
Fear the beard. This was once a slogan OKC fans used to label Harden. It was their battle cry during the regular season and the postseason. Well, too bad that the slogan once created by the Thunder, backfired upon them.
Yes, NBA and Oklahoma City Thunder. Fear the beard all right. A superstar is born. His name is James Harden. And to add to insult, this was once a sixth man of the year that was ignored behind Westbrook and Ibaka.
Linsanity, your time was last year. This year around, it's Beard-Mania time!
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