If Wednesday's performance is a precursor of things to come, new Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden will be the poster boy for fast returns on investments.
Just two days removed from his 37-point, 12 assist spectacle against the Pistons to lead Houston to a 106-95 win in its season opener, Harden and new teammate Jeremy Lin are looking to keep the momentum going for the Rockets Friday night as the visit the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Ga., to take on Josh Smith and the Atlanta Hawks.
Last year's Sixth Man of the Year, Harden made league headlines this past weekend when he was traded from NBA Finalist Oklahoma City Thunder to the Rockets in a multi-player deal after failing to come to terms with the Thunder on an extension. Harden, who signed a five-year, $80 million extension with the Rockets the same day that he lit up the Pistons, was just glad to get down to business, he told Yahoo! Sports after the game.
"I think I just wanted to get out there and play," Harden said. "All the talking and all the craziness that has been happening this last week - I just wanted to go out there and play basketball."
Lin, Houston's other big acquisition, signed in free agency this summer following his late season heroics in New York that saved the Knicks' season, was certainly all smiles about his new running mate's performance.
"That was an awesome performance," point guard Lin, who had 12 points, eight assists and four steals Wednesday, told Yahoo! Sports of Harden after the opener victory. "We just let him go to work and played off of him and it was really nice."
However, as uplifting as Wednesday's win was for the Rockets, they will face a tough test tonight as they take on the perennially playoff-bound Hawks, looking to prove something this year after trading franchise centerpiece Joe Johnson to Brooklyn this summer.
Looking to take the franchise in a different direction after failing to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals in the last five years, the Hawks traded Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams in separate deals this summer, while acquiring Anthony Morrow, Jordan Farmar, DeShawn Stevenson, Jordan Williams, and a second-round pick from Brooklyn for Johnson, who has four years and $90 million left on his contract, according to NBA.com.
But the Hawks still remain potent as long as star forward Josh Smith is still wearing Atlanta red-and-black. According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Smith is on pace this season to become the 24th player in league history to reach 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. There are only eight players to do it with one team. Smith would be the ninth, having been with the Hawks since being drafted as the 17th pick in the 2004 NBA Draft.
"I've definitely accomplished a lot of things that a lot of people didn't think I would accomplish but I've always believed in myself," said Smith, who insists he doesn't pay attention to statistics, to the Constitution. "I'm definitely confident. I'm a confident person and I have a hard work ethic."
Of the season ahead, Smith told NBA.com that he knows the coming season will be a challenge for the new-look Hawks.
"It's definitely going to be a challenge because we're semi-rebuilding," Smith, one of five returning Atlanta players on the roster, told NBA.com. "You hate to see those guys leave. But we're going to be playing with different teammates now, so we've got to try to make things work."
Game Schedule
Game time for the Rockets vs. Hawks starts at 7:30 p.m.