[ClutchFans] Podcast: Is James Harden leading the early MVP Race?

You can make an argument who the leading candidate for MVP is right now, but I think there is no argument that among the MVP candidates James Harden had to carry the most load by himself. This guy is our main scorer, our main PG, and has to actual play good defense. I just hope that he doesn't get worn out by playoffs time. McHale needs to give Harden some rest later in the season when the team gets healthy.

 

He's young he can handle it.

 

Beard.

That is all.

 

better at closing than LeBronaway, that's for sure !!

 

MVP! MVP! MVP!

So many minutes tonight but he just put his head down and scored the damn ball in the 4th and OT. This is a great f-ing player!

 

He's it. Phenomenal.

 

I'm so happy he's a Rocket.

 

But but but...he cant be the MVP...he doesnt eat with his teammates/all he does is shoot FTs/he doesn't play defense...

#pursuit #differentteamgoals

 

Before this year, Harden was already a special player. This year he is just playing at another level. I appreciate Terry and Ariza, but Harden is dang carrying the team on his back. Let's hope for everybody to slowly come back and set the league on fire.

 

Why the hell wasn't he that aggressive at driving the whole game? You get James Harden going to the rim, you got a 75% chance of getting some points. He seemed lethargic the whole night and somehow found it in himself to do what needed to be done. It was ugly, it was confusing, it was beautiful.

 

He looks to get everyone else involved which then opens up the game for him. Unfortunately no one else was making shots in the first half.

 

Really?

Did you consider that on the 2nd night of a back to back after another huge game amid a 3 week stretch of dragging the Rockets solo, he was maybe conserving a bit for the end?

I'd say it worked?

 

Curry?! Are you kidding me??

 

There is a reason Harden Explodes in the 3rd qtr. With the amount of responsibility on his plate Harden has to find rest somewhere. My man can't score 17 points every qtr, every game.

 

man im thinking about getting nba 2k15.. anybody know what hardens updated rating in that game is.. i know he has to be in the 90's for sure because of the improved defense

 

Harden is a competitor. Here are a few reasons:
1) That kind of performance is not sustainable over an entire game, especially with the minutes Harden plays.
2) Doing it over an entire game would only wear you out. Playing tired increases your risk for injury because you are simply a step slower than you think.
3) Harden is an athlete. He has more stamina and he punishes the other team when they are tired.
4) He found his rhythm.
5) He and the coaching staff made the right adjustments. The coaching staff went small and spread the floor giving him room to operate. Teams WANT to sag off their man and collapse the moment Harden touches the ball (like the Blazers did in the playoffs, but Lin couldn't make them pay) but tonight we made them pay for it. Ariza, Daniels, and Terry made their open threes when they collapsed and he kicked it out.

 

1 98 LeBron James SF CLE
2 95 Kevin Durant SF OKC
3 91 Chris Paul PG LAC
4 90 Tim Duncan PF SA
5 89 Carmelo Anthony SF NY
6 89 Kobe Bryant SG LAL
7 89 Kevin Love PF CLE
8 89 Paul George SF IND
9 89 Blake Griffin PF LAC
10 89 Stephen Curry PG GS
11 88 James Harden SG HOU
12 88 Dwight Howard C HOU
13 88 Tony Parker PG SA
14 88 LaMarcus Aldridge PF POR
15 88 Dirk Nowitzki PF DAL
16 88 Anthony Davis PF NO
17 88 Derrick Rose PG CHI
18 88 Russell Westbrook PG OKC
14 88 LaMarcus Aldridge PF POR
15 88 Dirk Nowitzki PF DAL
16 88 Anthony Davis PF NO
17 88 Derrick Rose PG CHI

These ratings are crap.

 

I seriously don't understand how any NBA or ESPN analyst would even argue that this guy shouldn't be the MVP leader as of now, the guy is straight up beast, I can't name any player in the NBA that is playing at the same level that he is playing.

 

At this point it is obvious the Beard is the MVP and it is his to lose.

 

The media is starting to come around, I've heard more praise from national media for harden over the last week than the past 2 years. I'm glad this game was on TNT so other ppl could get to watch it and see that harden is a special player. I don't think some ppl understand what he's doing out there. He's literally the whole offense, I've only seen 07-09 Lebron doing what I'm seeing harden do. The talent he is playing with is subpar and he's battled to 8-3 without the big fella while avg 31 6 and 6 he's special and if he keeps it up we're going to have to put another statue outside Toyota.