With just over half a season done... here's the Basketball Reference MVP probabilties as of 1/24/19 (post Harden 61 point game) https://www.basketball-reference.com/friv/mvp.html
Slew of hit pieces on Harden... after a 61-pt performance. From the looks of it, this 60-piece was more detrimental to his MVP narrative, somehow. Today's cast of lazy takes: Sharpe (misinterprets Harden's "legacy" statement), Bayless (his legacy was on the line "to put on a show" at MSG), Cowherd ("stat padder")
Wait, Cowherd really called him a stat-padder?? How the **** is he a stat-padder when we literally needed every single one of his 61 points to win the damn game?? That absolutely makes no sense.
Giannis now has 50 percent probability. Anthony Davis slips a good number of spots... and Lebron is completely off the table.
Imagine how much better your lives would be if you stopped caring about a meaningless award for a person you don't even know xd
If only Harden knew he'd lose out on 2 MVP awards all because of his *paltry* rebounding numbers... As far as caring goes, collectively we have to come to terms that there isn't an objective set of measurements for rewarding the MVP award. It's a media award and therefore is innately narrative driven.
Westbrook shouldn't have won on a 47-win team and sorry, neither should James Harden. He'll have to settle for another top three finish. 2012-13 8th 2013-14 5th 2014-15 2nd 2015-16 9th 2016-17 2nd 2017-18 1st 2018-19 2nd? 3rd? Spoiler Kobe finished 4th in 2005-06, averaging 35/5/5 2005-06 Lakers 45-37; 7th seed Kobe Bryant Lamar Odom Smush Parker Chris Mihm Brian Cook Kwame Brown Devean George Luke Walton Laron Profit Sasha Vujacic Ronny Turiaf Jim Jackson Andrew Bynum Von Wafer Stanislav Medvedenko Devin Green Aaron McKie
Harden was the MVP favorite Nov-Jan but the Rox keep getting blown out by garbage teams with Cp3 and Ego back, it makes him look like a choker who can't close games out. The media hitpieces actually benefitted Harden a lot from the start because it made everyone realize he was carrying the entire team on his back but no 2 and no 4 options are back but Harden hasn't really increased his efficieny in fact it looks loke he is forcing shots to maintain his record. Hopefully Harden stops caring when he beats Wilts 2nd record and Capela comes back healthy so the Rox can rise above the rankings and if the Rox end up with 2nd seed then Harden automatically gets MVP.
I don't really care this year. Giannis is deserving of the award so I'm not even mad. It wouldn't feel like a slight to Harden's season if he comes in second. I just want people/fans/media to put more respect on what Harden is doing in respect to history. The only way Harden will get the respect he deserves is to win the MVP. If he doesn't get the MVP, I feel like no one will talk about this season ever again like they do with Russ' triple double streak or Curry's three point achievement. I want Harden to get the MVP just to preserve the history of this season. Everyone outside Houston will forget quick.
I think you meant to say to preserve the history of Harden's season. You dun want to preserve anything that says Gordon and Chris Paul sucked arse mostly and Clint was injured during an important stretch. The team outside Harden was just below average excluding some games Rivers, House, Farweed were hot. And we had teh Alltime Great named Carmelo. PS Tilman wanted to save major tax this very season!
Giannis is THE ONE player in the NBA that I am OK with people mentioning in the same breath as Harden for MVP. Tough break for Harden. The MVP voters are going to gravitate towards newness over sameness.
36ppg for Houston gets way more clicks than best player on best team for Milwaukee. Milwaukee has the 3rd fewest fans in the NBA. OKC was a much tougher foe because they have an insane level of engagement in that state. I think Giannis has to blow the competition out of the water to win this award. He might.
