For James Harden, the concept he could impact a game title as much from the bench because he would in the beginning selection did not really click until he was instructed to try it out.
Once the Oklahoma City Thunder exchanged starters Shaun Eco-friendly and Nenad Krstic to Boston in the center of last season, it put Harden inside a bigger role - even when he still was the very first player from the bench.
In the first season fully comprehending the role, Harden won the NBA's Sixth Guy of the season Award after leading all bench gamers in scoring.
"Much more possibilities came my way," Harden stated Thursday after accepting the award. "All Used to do only agreed to be required benefit of them."
Harden averaged 16.8 points on career-best 49 percent shooting this year, and that he recorded his first career 40-point game recently inside a win at Phoenix. The bearded combo guard also grew to become known within the final week from the regular season as he sustained a concussion while taking an elbow in the La Lakers' Metta World Peace.
He retrieved over time to come back for that 2010 nfl playoffs called the star from the Thunder's 4th-quarter comeback to conquer Dallas within the clinching Game 4 of the opening round sweep.
Although Harden is really a bench player, coach Scott Brooks describes him as his sixth starter and provides him the minutes a front-line player would normally get. His 31.4 minutes were second-most among reserves this year - an impression under Dallas' Jason Terry - and most about 50 % the starters within the league.
"More often than not within the second quarter and also the 4th quarter, I am available using the starters finishing games," Harden stated. "That included that trust, from my rookie year to now, being available within the 4th quarter, he's giving me the ball, letting me make plays."
Lou Williams, who brought Philadelphia in scoring despite not beginning just one game this year, was second within the balloting.
Harden got 115 from the 119 first-place votes and three from the second-place votes, getting left of 1 ballot. Williams got three first-place votes and Chicago's Taj Gibson got another one.
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