James Harden has been a powerful force this season for the Houston Rockets. The do-it-all ‘points guard’ under Mike D’Antoni’s leadership has been posting some impressive statlines. Just one season after he was a snub from all three All-NBA teams, James is making sure no one forgets him this time around.
Harden already has some triple-doubles to his name and on top of that, the Rockets currently find themselves in the fourth seed in the Western Conference, boasting a 15-7 record. The 27-year-old superstar Harden is averaging 28.3 points, a league-best 11.8 assists, and 7.6 rebounds. Harden is posting a 29.0 Player Efficiency Rating, which is good for fourth in the NBA and a 6.94 Real Plus Minus, which is currently third in the association.
But when you talk about the NBA MVP award, that’s when things get a little muddy. Russell Westbrook entered the season as the favorite to win the MVP but the emergence of Harden as a legit triple-double threat makes him a viable basketball betting odds to take home the trophy. Two seasons ago he went toe-to-toe with Stephen Curry for the award. While Steph came away with the NBA MVP, Harden still received the admiration of his peers when he was awarded the NBPA Player’s choice MVP award.
But the stats, betting lines and confidence from teammate Patrick Beverley aren’t the only things on Harden’s side. James believes he is the favorite to win the award. He said as much during a recent Adidas event.
Following from Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated.
Meanwhile, Harden is back in the MVP mix after finishing second to Stephen Curry in 2015, joining a deep field of candidates that includes Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Chris Paul in the early conversation.
Harden didn’t pause or blink when asked for his own MVP pick. He simply nominated himself.
“The Beard,” Harden told SI.com, before making his case. “Look at our record. Obviously the numbers, historic numbers. Just my performance overall.”
Many didn’t see the Rockets as a realistic threat in the Western Conference, especially after the Rockets lost a handful of players in the offseason headlined by Dwight Howard. Their replacements were headlined by Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson, two players more known for their scoring abilities and not their defensive efforts.
But that formula of an offense first mindset has worked out, so far. Houston boasts one of the top five offenses in the NBA. The Rockets have also won nine out of their last 11 games and have some marquee wins over the San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics and a pair of victories over the Portland Trail Blazers.
James Harden needs to continue to win if he wants to make himself that NBA MVP award winner. It’s been nearly three decades since a player won the award without being a top seed in their conference and even being at the fourth spot might end up hurting his chances in the end. But if James continues to post these insane lines and be the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1966 to finish the season with a line of 28/7/11 for an entire season, it might be a hard to not give him the award.
