The difference this year vs '17 is injuries. OKC didn't suffer injury like the '19 Rockets. Same reason Harden's case was great vs '15 Curry. It's really not as complicated as fans make it. Giannis playing in the weaker conference helps Harden, but best record can be a difficult argument to overcome. Compentent fans care about MVPs and stats along with winning... not just Morey, Harden, and most posters.
no...media will be like “that’s nice, but it’s Miami” he needs to have these performances on national TV against marquee teams with the Rockets winning those games
Absoutely - games like this are perfect proof of his value. ROX needed his scoring to win. Period. Nobody else lifts their team like Harden does.
Same Miami team that’s below .500 in the East? He needs to have 40+ point games against the good/high profile teams with the Rockets winning to overcome Giannis.
Boston and Toronto better be ready now that Hardens groove is back.you think he doesn’t know two nationally televised games against 5 the easts big boys is a great opportunity to lead his team to victories? I see two 40 plus games
2 points, totally separate and yet, somewhat connected: Harden would have had 3 MVPs if he was doing THE SAME THING he has been doing the past 3 years as a Lakers. In other words, if this season, LBJ had done what Harden has been doing all season with LBJ's current squad, would anyone else be in MVP consideration? Haters gonna hate.
Max kellerman in back to back segment in first take just criticized harden in his mvp campaign versus Greek Freak because Harden isn’t in the same arena of defense as Greek dream but the comes to Lebrons defense of his lack of defense by saying he picks up the slack for his teammates in offense so he should be excused of playing defense and they should happily pick up his slack on defense. What a freaking joke.
Lmaooooooo The funny thing is Max will have him as his MVP at some point this season just to stir the pot in the future. It’s all just for the ratings...
This BS popularity contest rankles yearly. It should be this simple: if you subtract the MVP candidate from the team, where is the team without him? Bucks has another all-star in a weaker conference, OKC has Westbrook, Both of these teams would be playoff bound without their MVP candidates. Rockets would be buried at the bottom of the Western Conference. Are there other teams that would be screwed without their single star? Sure, but that star doesn't have as big an impact as Harden. Without bias, as a basketball fan, Harden is, quite simply, the most impactful player in the NBA and the most valuable player to his team. MVP. (I also want to note that we could possibly make the playoffs with all of our players healthy for a full season without Harden, but it would be a tough fight and we certainly wouldn't be championship contenders without him. )
He will not win. No one wins back to back. Not happening in this era. Besides, Harden got one so all the media will assume that was enough for what in their eyes, is a lazy no defense, foul generating machine. Step back 3? (Super hard shot to make and a 'bad' shot for anyone except him and Seth C.) He be traveling right. That's what they all say even as the league and refs say no. I rest my case.
It's almost impossible to argue the numbers. They all favor Harden substantially. Think Harden wins. Winning has proven to be important, but Harden is so far beyond everyone else he has to get it.
