Naming the Houston Rockets All-Decade First Team

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James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets looks on against the Golden State Warriors (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Shooting Guard: James Harden

Was there any question as to who would be the starting shooting guard for the Rockets’ All-Decade team? James Harden has one MVP Award, seven All-Star appearances and two scoring titles in his tenure with Houston.

Harden’s patented step-back 3-pointer has become one of the most difficult shots to defend in today’s league. He’s also by far the league’s best iso player and has become a master at drawing fouls for easy free throws. He has even improved on defense, which used to be a weak part of his game. Last season, he finished second in the league in steals by averaging 2.0 per game.

The Beard has averaged 29.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists in his tenure with Houston. He has led the league in scoring in the last two consecutive seasons and he averaged 36.1 points per game last season, the highest scoring average since Michael Jordan‘s 1986-87 season.

All of these stats have led directly to Houston’s win column. The Rockets have won at least 50 games five times and have made the playoffs in every season during Harden’s tenure. The Rockets will be in a good position to continue to compete for a title next year under Harden, especially since the team was able to maintain its depth while adding Russell Westbrook.

The only thing Harden has left in his career at this point to accomplish is to win a championship. If he can add a couple of rings to his resume, he could really put himself in the conversation amongst some of the very best players of all time.

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