Dwight Howard got hurt before the Laker game, Jones has been out the whole time, and Bev also missed a significant chunk. Harden has played excellent defense, and has been the sole focal point of every opponents defense. Not mention playing PG. Since Dwight has been out 8-3 W-L 29.1 PPG 6.1 APG 6.1 RPG 2.4 Stl 1.2 Blks 46% FG 39% 3Pt 88% FT There frankly shouldn't even be a discussion about who the MVP is up to this point.
I think the key will be where the Rockets finish at the end of the season in the standings. I hate to say it, but if it's a 2-man race between Steph and James, a lot of the voters will probably go with the guy on the team with the better record.
I can't wait until there is big game at the TC and Harden is dropping like 30 and gets a clutch and 1 and we start hearing the loud MVP chants.
Also how many of the media would consider a supporting cast of DMO, ariza, black and Canaan (now Beverley) Better than Asik, Anderson, Teague etc? None. We're thriving and NO is treading water. harden is leading from an MVP standpoint. Davis is a freak superstar too though.
Clear MVP no doubt. Put Curry / Lowry in there instead of Harden and see what happens..(Curry seems to be #1 among guards and even overall). I understand they are very important to their teams, but Harden is way more valuable, will be top 3 if not scoring leader by the end of the season and is showing up on defense with steal, blocks, positioning, effort and rebounding. Also his playmaking is second to none right now. He's growing up in front of our eyes and with his Clutch stats up, there is no reason for him not be a monster in the playoffs.
Well there is ONE reason - the fact that he is in the middle of playing very heavy minutes 1/4 the way into the season for this team after a long summer also being the playmaker on the USA team. I know he's a young guy, but we gotta ease up on him a bit soon - let him get some rest in before the post all star break grind through western conference playoff contenders.
I hope the voters have sense enough to factor that the standing don't matter quite like they used to in the west. You have the Spurs resting players every week and the difference in records is going to be negligible between at least 5 of the 8 teams in the conference. It shouldn't be about who's 1st or 2nd in the conference, not this year.
I've not wanted to jump the gun on Harden's MVP candidacy - history is not kind to MVPs whose teams flamed out in the first round. It took Dirk years to shake off the negativity from his MVP season/first round loss. Just imagine the media reaction if Harden had been the MVP last year and then the Portland series happened. But enough is enough. James Harden is the clear MVP of the quarter-season. I'm in on the campaign.
There was some guy on here during the offseason who was arguing that McHale should bench Harden to start the season as a way to punish him for his poor defense last year. I thought, no, that can't be right: maybe I'm misunderstanding him. But when I asked him about it he held that position. I didn't even know how to respond to that. I don't remember who it was, whether he was a vet or newb or whether he was a generally good poster or bad one, but that is still the dumbest idea I've ever heard about anything in my entire life.
There's a lot of idiots on here both newb and vet. CarlHerrera spent the offseason championing a Harden for Love trade.
Murray is just trying to increase his trade value before the deadline. (so says the worst thread of 2014) THE MUTHA******* BEARD IS LEAGUE MVP. HANDS DOWN.
I just can't believe OKC had three potential MVP candidates on their team at one point, and they let arguably the second best one go for Steven Adams, Jeremy Lamb and a year of Martin.
Obviously harden is the best player in the league hands down it would be a travesty if he did not win MVP
lol I go to Oklahoma now and again and heard back then some OKC fans saying that Lamb will be just as good as Harden in a few years. They seem not too bright up that way.
