James Harden got off to a slow start for the Oklahoma City Thunder, despite being the number three pick in the NBA draft.  Harden has been coming into his own as of late though, and has scored in double figures 6 of last 9 games after failing to do so in his first 11 games.  Harden has a good knowledge of the game, especially for a rookie.  See where he ranks amongst the other rookies here at my list for the Top Rookies in the NBA so far.

The Thunder have not given their rookies much of a chance to show what they can do yet. 20-year old shooting guard James Harden is the player the Thunder really have high hopes for in the near future. He has played in 10 games (0 starts) for the Thunder so far this season and he is averaging 17.5 minutes, 5.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. 20-year old center Serge Ibaka has only played in 4 games (0 starts) so far this season and he is averaging 6.0 minutes, 1.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game this year. Fellow 20-year old center B.J. Mullens has yet to get into a game for the Thunder this year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are happy with rookie point guard Russell Westbrook. He has played in 15 games for the Thunder this season and he is averaging 25.5 minutes, 12.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Westbrook will likely get big time minutes for the Thunder this season as it is almost a lost cause already. Fellow rookie guard Kyle Weaver hasn’t gotten much of a chance to show what he can do yet. Weaver has played in 6 games (0 starts) for the Thunder this season and he is averaging 4.3 minutes, 1.8 points, 0.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Look for Weaver to get more playing time as the season goes on. F/C Steven Hill has only played in 1 game for the Thunder this season and he has played 2 minutes scoring 2 points and grabbing 3 rebounds.

The Sonics might have stunk overall as a team but you can’t blame that on their two rookies. Kevin Durant won the Rookie of the Year Award this season in the NBA and his play improved as the year went on. Durant played in 80 games (all starts) this season for the Sonics and he averaged 34.6 minutes, 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.0 steal per game. Durant only shot 43% from the floor but that will likely improve in the future due to better shot selection. He was nails at the line however as he hit 87.3% of his free throws. If Durant works hard in the weight room the sky will be the limit for him.

Jeff Green was the other first round pick the Sonics acquired in the Ray Allen trade and he played well. He played in 80 games (52 starts) for the Sonics this season and he averaged 28.2 minutes, 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He will be a starting player for a long time in this league and he will improve on his numbers as a sophomore.

Kevin Durant and Jeff Green both have bright futures with the Sonics no matter where they are playing in the future. Still, Kevin Durant is a tad soft and he hasn’t shot the ball too well. Durant is shooting only 39.9% from the floor, 28.4% from three point range and 86.8% from the free throw line this season. He needs better shot selection to realize his potential. He has played in 56 games (all starts) this season and he is averaging 19.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steal per game. The Sonics expect more out of Durant in the future. Jeff Green is a much tougher player than Durant is. Green has played in 56 games (28 starts) this season and he is averaging 25.6 minutes, 9.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He is shooting 43.6% from the floor and 69.7% from the free throw line but those numbers could improve now that he has a starting job for the remainder of the season.