Portland Trail Blazers at Houston Rockets, 8 p.m. ET: Harden clearly had a lot to prove after being traded to the Rockets a week ago. He was passed over in favor of three other young stars by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Then he signed a big deal with the Rockets before his debut. His first two games produced obscene numbers, though: 37 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals at the Detroit Pistons and 45 points on 14-for-19 shooting and seven rebounds at the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets are 2-0 as they make their home debut, but the matchup will be more difficult this time. Blazers guard Wesley Matthews is long, athletic and strong, and he plays defense with good intensity.
Toronto Raptors at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET: The last team to play its season opener also is among the most mysterious in the NBA. The Nets revamped their roster, building around holdovers Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. Will Joe Johnson resume his propensity for firing up ill-advised shots? Will Williams be allowed to forgo scoring with his better teammates and become a creator again? Is Brook Lopez ready to become an elite offensive center, which he's been on the cusp of for years? Oh, and where Brooklyn at? How will the turnout be in the Sandy-ravaged borough?
The Facts
In 2011-12 with the Thunder, Harden averaged 31.4 minutes per game, while having to share touches with fellow superstars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the emerging Serge Ibaka. Harden still managed 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
For many teams that don't make the NBA Finals, these numbers represent a productive NBA starter—for the Thunder, they were numbers which earned Harden the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award last season.
Since joining the Houston Rockets, his field goals attempted have increased from 10.1 to 22.0, and he's taking an average of three more three-pointers per game. While 41.0 PPG will be a difficult pace to maintain, Harden will surely stay up there with the NBA's best.
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