In mid-August, James Harden was getting up shots in Guangzhou, China, 7,000 miles away from where most of the other 400-plus NBA players were preparing for the new season. He was shooting a basketball, shirtless and perspiring, later posting the shot on Instagram with the caption ‘stay the course….’ From the shape of his body, it could have been construed as a glimpse into the results of his assault course training, but more likely was a statement of his intent to chase the two things he doesn’t yet have: an MVP award and NBA championship. That image of Harden should have warned us he was coming back with a vengeance, but how were we to know he could improve on a stat line of 29.1 points/8.1 rebounds/11.2 assists from last season? The man is 12 pounds lighter and as confirmed by his coach and teammates in the last days is making scoring look easy. Not limited to scoring, the game of basketball looks simple for Harden, the court providing an environment in which he can test his abilities and experiment against the best to play the sport. He is more patient than ever, tricky and evading, quick to the basket, dangerous as a creator and shooting at a mind-blowingly efficient clip. The Rockets’ bizarre second round exit from last year’s playoffs against the Spurs, headlined by Harden’s game six meltdown in a 39-point loss, has faded into the exterior. We are witnessing a better version of a top class model, driving around on a different track. “I’ve seen it all the last few years”, Harden said of the defensive coverages teams are showing him. “Ain’t nothing they can do about it.” Having watched him closely, I must say I agree.