Sure, it is all part of the mix. And at that point everyone (or voter) will then evaluate all of the factors and the importance of the factors.
Bud is excellent coach so should be able to mitigate any long losing slides. But Bucks have shrank from the glare in the past, all they need is one key injury to role player like Bledsoe or Middleton. They have had a good run of injury luck so far and are also very fortunate to play in East. But do not expect Harden's historic run to level off, he will break few more records, including MJ average of 37 pts/season before all said and done. Will finish in rarefied air that only Wilt has basked and breathed.
If you put Harden in Milwaukee this year, they may even be better. Harden/Brogdon Bledsoe/Hill Middleton/Snell Mirotic/Ilyeasova Lopez/Gasol Looks like a 65+ win juggernaut in the east.
Houston needs to get that 3rd seed. Get a good streak going and the late season narrative might get him home
Jordan comes to mind. There was one year Jordan won 66-69 games (I forget) and lost to Karl Malone. Like someone once said, Jordan should've been MVP damn-near every year he was in the league. lol.
i mean.. i think we can have a discussion about it. that's what we're doing in this thread, aren't we? joking aside, i think harden should win it but it doesn't mean it's not even close. i think bucks having the best record in the east is very impressive and giannis is amazing
Exactly what I think. Giannis' play hasn't all of a sudden opened up and multiplied the amount of outside shots the Bucks take. That's a Bud acknowledgement.
Since 1970 - 2000/01 - Spurs finished with the best record in the league and Duncan was pretty clearly the alpha on that team at that time. Finished runner-up to Iverson. - 1996/97 - Bulls finished with the best record in the league and they gave the MVP to Karl Malone (so so bad) - 1990/91 - Blazers had the best record in the NBA and Drexler was the top guy for that team, but Jordan got the nod. - 1987/88 - Lakers had the best record, but Jordan got the nod over Magic. - 1981/82 - Moses wins his 2nd while with Houston, even though Boston, and Bird, had the top record - 1979/80 - Kareem gets the nod over Bird even though the Celtics have a better record - 1978/79 - Moses wins his 1st while with Houston, even though Washington, and Elvin Hayes, had the top record - 1974/75 - Bob McAdoo won it even though the Celts/Bullets Tied for best record. Dave Cowens or Elvin Hayes were probably the best candidates from either of those teams. - 1971/72 - Kareem gets the nod, but Jerry West has a very Steve Nash-like season for the NBA leading Lakers Honestly, other than Malone’s win in 96/97, the other choices were all solid choices and most wont argue about who won. However, I can’t see Giannis losing if they have the best record in the NBA at the end of the year, no matter how much I want Harden to win it. He fits the profile of past winners that come from top teams. Need the Bucks to falter down the stretch for Harden to have a chance.
You missed something. Pau wanted out of San Antonio so badly, he agreed to a buyout that lost him $2.5M. He's a Buck now.
Everyone saying “it’s not even a discussion” is probably a homer and aren’t capable of having a real conversation on this issue (thus, weirdly making the thread title an accurate self-fulfilling prophecy). It is absolutely a discussion and should be a VERY close race. Anyone using the “Westbrook” rule should be disqualified from the convo. 1) that year was an anomaly 2) everyone knows in hindisight (shoot, we knew it then) that him winning the award was a mistake 3) if you think Harden should win it this year because “Westbrook” then you are no better than the voters who shift the criteria each year for “their guy”. GIANNIS should win because... No one in their right mind had the Bucks pegged as having the best record in the NBA. No one. Precedent states (with very few exceptions) that best player on the best team wins MVP when they are the only superstar. This is why Giannis likely will win. Because the voters will go with precedent. Harden should win because... He was literally the most important player to his team’s success this year. He plays in a tougher conference and had to deal with different lineups every night. When the team was in the gutter he strapped them on his back and pulled them out of the grave. On the way to doing so, he put up historic numbers (yes... ala Westbrook) with entire defenses designed to stop JUST him. He’s had a TON of omg moments this year and has been extremely clutch in a lot of big games. Also he is the reigning MVP and actually got better this year. So any knocks you have against James the player (not Houston as a team) were likely there last year when he won it and every other year he’s been runner up. When looking at the big picture I agree Harden SHOULD win it. While Giannis probably will win it. But to say “it’s not a contest” and to use his gaudy stats as proof is insane to me. Both have very strong cases and if the roles were reversed and we had the best record with great (but not historic stats) we’d be singing the other song. Really really hoping James gets B2B has it will be HUGE for his legacy. But I won’t be shocked when Giannis wins.
Best record in the league nonsense should just stop right now cause giannis and harden dont play in the same league...giannis is playing in the east church league..beating east church league teams doesnt make your record best in the nba Some adjustment should be made when appreciating the records just like they do with any numbers players post and not just taking it in vacuum and running with it like a chicken with cut off head
Very Lebron esq. I guess that’s what you have to do to take the best player in the game mantle from the great LeBron James lol. Rockets are rolling harden still avg 40 a night. He’s winning mvp guys. Put that to rest let’s get ready for the playoffs. Bucks won’t even come out the east to play houston in the finals. Rockets will have to travel a little further to Canada.
For real...I wish we could play the Knicks, Cavs, Hawks, Chicago, Washington, etc 3-4 times a year...those teams all suck, and most of them aren’t even interested in winning Harden is winning 65+ games in the East with that Bucks squad and making the finals the Lakers playoff hopes are done, but they’d currently be the 8th seed in the East and could finish as high as 6th Coach Bud is the main reason for the Bucks’ level of play, so people need to miss me with that wins argument...especially when Harden is the modern day Wilt carrying an injury ravaged squad from 14th to a game out 3rd in the West...Giannis could never Russ won MVP for doing something historic, and Harden is having a much better season than him and leading his team to a better record/higher seed...media better not go against the precedent they set just 2 years ago
Harden’s signature/MVP moments -game winner against GS while recording a 44 point triple double and leading his team back from down 20 on the road without CP3 or EG -58 points vs Miami while leading his team back from 21 down -61 points at MSG tying the record for most points scored by a visiting player -50 point triple double against the Lakers -43 points against OKC on Christmas -ridiculous stepback against Boston giving him 42 points against Boston on the road on ABC -disconnecting Murray’s ankles from his body and then finishing him off with a 4 point play I’m probably forgetting a few others too this has been the most talked about moment from Giannis so far...
Again... people can say “the Bucks wins are inflated because they’re in the East”. The Bucks have a winning percentage of 67% against the West (Rockets 56%). Rockets have a winning percentage of 67% against the East (Bucks 80%). I’m sure Harden haters are similarly saying Harden is only putting up his stats because of his high usage rate. “Giannis could do what he’s doing in this system”. But he’s not. And in fact no one else is. And you need to go to the way back machine to find people to compare what Harden is doing to. And it’s resulting in wins and out of necessity (unlike Russ’ MVP campaign). Plus Harden was beasting (of course not at this level) before MDA. So there’s that. Point is, there are narratives on both sides. To say it’s not an argument is silly.
