James Harden named Western Conference Player of the Week... again

According to sources, James Harden has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week.

This is the second time Harden has won the award this season, and the 21st time he has taken home the honor in his career.

But there’s something a little more special about this one. This one was probably the one he has earned the most.

The Rockets played three times this week and were winners in all three contests, with Harden playing an enormous role in each of the team’s wins.

On Christmas Day, he pummeled his old team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, for 41 points and seven assists. On Thursday, he gashed the Boston Celtics for 45 points while sinking a season-high nine threes. Then, on Saturday, he torched the Pelicans for another 41-point outing, including a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe. In total, he has averaged 42.3 points per game this week. Wild.

Last year, we met MVP Harden, like official, in-the-books MVP Harden. However, the Beard we witnessed this week was a step above that. Imagining a level above the Beard from last year seemed impossible until we saw his wizardry over these last three games. Every game, I sit on the edge of my seat wondering what he’s going to do next. I guess we’ll find out tonight against the Grizzlies.