Today, the NBA announced that Houston Rockets guard James Harden has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 10 (Week 3). It is the 23rd time Harden has received the award in his career, all coming as a Rocket.
The Rockets were 3-0 for the week and outscored opponents by an average of 15.7 points per game. Harden recorded a double-double in each game while averaging 40.7 points, 9.3 assist, 8.0 rebounds, 2.33 steals and 1.33 blocks. He also hit 22 3-pointers on 43.1% shooting for the week while Rockets opponents combined for 20 3FGM on 22.2% shooting.
Harden has scored a total of 334 points in 318 minutes of play this season. That is the highest total through the first nine games of a season since Michael Jordan scored 337 in 1988-89. Harden has hit 39 3-pointers this season, marking the fourth-highest total through the first nine games of a season and the most by a player besides Stephen Curry.
The Rockets are 6-3 this season with Harden ranking first in the league in scoring (37.1 ppg) and sixth in assists (8.2 apg). In 2018-19, he became the first player in NBA history to have averaged at least 35.0 points and 7.0 assists in a single season.
