NBA: 10 Early-Season Storylines To Keep An Eye On

May 26, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after being called for an offensive foul against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter in game five of the Western conference finals of the NBA Playoffs at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 120-111. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports /

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Oct 30, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

2. James Harden is trying to lead the league in scoring AND assists!

While Westbrook has to this point been the more electrifying scorer, Harden has been more successful in finding looks for his teammates. Harden was my preseason pick to lead the league in assists, and he has done just that through five games. Harden is averaging a cool 12.3 assists per game while also scoring 31.5 points. These marks would have both been good enough for tops in the league last season.

Just as Oscar Robinson remains as the only player to average a triple double for a whole season, Nate Archibald’s 1973 campaign has stood the test of time as the only instance of a player leading the league in scoring and assists per game. This one is right up Harden’s and Westbrook’s alley. The two both possess dynamic offensive talent which opens the floor for their teammates, to whom they have delivered the ball to at an elite clip for years.

The big difference this year has been pure reps. Westbrook brings the ball up court every possession. The offense seems to run through him and him alone. He currently has a usage rate of over 44 percent, which is basically a cute way of saying that over 44 percent of the time, Westbrook has the ball. Nobody has ever had that kind of offensive workload. Ever.

In the whole history of the league. And it’s not even particularly close. He is bound to collect gaudy offensive stats. Harden’s offensive responsibility has been equally ridiculous to this point. Both stand a good chance at entering Nate Archibald’s rarefied air.

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