NEW YORK -- This James Harden at point guard thing is starting to look so easy. As the Houston Rockets begin their tour through the NBA, Harden is showing people as the starting point guard -- or starting "points guard" as Mike D'Antoni calls him -- that he's elevating his game.

Wednesday night, Harden scored 30 points and had 15 assists in leading the Rockets past the New York Knicks, 118-99.

The media questioned D'Antoni before the game about just how potent of a point guard Harden can be.

Well, in five games this season Harden is averaging 31.8 points and 12.4 assists.

"He threw some passes that were ridiculous," D'Antoni said. "He hit some timely shots at the end of quarters. He played really well."

James Harden had 30 points and 15 assists against the Knicks on Wednesday. Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Harden completed passes for buckets for Trevor Ariza and Clint Capela as he stood with just one foot from the logo at center court. He earned another one with a behind the back pass to Ryan Anderson who buried a 3.

After a missed bucket by the Knicks, Harden causally came down court and found Montrezl Harrell with a bounce pass that Harrell dunked with two hands.

"When he threw it I saw it, I had to spin back around," Harrell said.

When Harden wasn't displaying that magic eye, he was making shots. It was almost comical. In the fourth, after the Rockets snagged an offensive rebound, the shot clock was winding down leading to a possible rushed shot. Brandon Jennings was on Harden's left hip, and Harden calmly hit a 3.

Ask John Lucas, the Rockets' director of player development, about what Harden is doing.

Lucas was a pretty good point guard in his prime, maybe the best in franchise history.

Until now.

"I've been the best," Lucas said. "But that guy is damn good."

Lucas talked about how Harden makes all the passes: Through traffic, on the run, to the rim, behind the back, to open men for 3-pointers.

"You're never out of a game because he's controlling it," Lucas said.

Harden made this look easy against the Knicks. It didn't matter if Courtney Lee was covering him or Derrick Rose or Justin Holiday or Brandon Jennings. At one point late in the fourth quarter Ron Baker, a rookie from Wichita State, was trying to guard Harden.

He didn't make everyone look silly, but he just played with a fluidity that reminds you of the smoothness of legendary jazz musicians such as John Coltrane or Miles Davis.

"I'm able to control the game a lot more," Harden said.

That control from a passer's perspective almost overshadows his skills as a scorer.

Late in the first quarter, Harden was on the run when Rose, in the proper defensive stance, tried to contain him near the basket. Harden moved left, right and up toward the basket for a layup. It was that patent EuroStep, so smooth, so deadly, almost automatic.

"He is a great player," Kristaps Porzingis said. "He is able to break our defense down and get to the basket early and get fouls. At the same time, we didn't really stop him. It is about team defense, it's on all of us."

If the Rockets are to achieve their goals of becoming an elite team, it will take more players than Harden. When he goes on these passing sprees others must finish the play.

Of the 15 assists, six led to layups, five were 3-pointers and four were dunks.

Harrell scored three dunks and one layup. Anderson made three 3s thanks to Harden's feeds and Capela scored on three baskets at the rim.

"We got so many offensive weapons it makes my job a lot easier," Harden said. "I just got to pick my spots and make the right play. When guys are knocking down shots and even when we're not knocking down shots and we're not making our shots, they're still good shots. We just got to continue to take those shots."