[rquoter]Considering the Rockets are 18-16 without Dwight Howard (knee), James Harden’s MVP candidacy probably would be stronger if Howard were in the lineup. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/nba-power-rankings--the-run-for-no--1-165415688.html[/rquoter]
The award is for most valuable player. Not best player. Not player with best stats. Most valuable to their team. The Rockets can't win when Harden struggles. The same can't be said for the other leaders in the MVP race. If Curry struggles Thompson can pick up the slack. If Lebron has a bad game they have Irving and Love. My point was that the Rockets got blown out in the two games Harden struggled. I don't think it was that hard to understand.
I probably didn't express my thoughts as eloquently as I intended. I don't expect Harden struggling to improve his MVP candidacy, only that the Rockets performance in those losses illustrates how important he is to the success of the team.
Does it peeve anyone else off that they get the Harden without Howard stat wrong, they had it at 18-16 when it is more like 22-12
This thing is Curry's to lose at this point. You need a strong showing to finish the season, that much is a given.
Rox have to go near undefeated and Harden needs to put up absurd numbers to win this. It's Curry's to lose, and he has an even better chance now that Klay is out for a bit.
Harden is slumping a bit but we have some games left! I notice that he's been a little bit passive lately and that might be because he's saving some energy for the stretch run into the playoffs. Hopefully he has a good two week stretch towards the end, with Howard in the lineup, where the Rockets start obliterating teams. It's possible with the schedule they have!
If we finish 2nd, Harden is winning it. We know Bill Simmons is voting him #1 but also Chris Broussard (who has a vote) is also voting for him surprisingly so. I think 3rd seed is a maybe. 2nd seed though to me is a most definitely.
He has unfortunately gone into a slump at the worst possible time because he could be solidifying his spot right now. Westbrook is building a case and Curry is also in a mini slump of sorts which would be perfect if James weren't also. This would be the perfect time for him to turn it up and sway some of the Curry supporters. He still has time, but his window of opportunity is closing fast. Now or never.
He is if OKC starts winning and he continues to put up historic numbers along with Harden and Curry tapering off. Right now no, but his buzz is growing louder and louder with each passing week.
he's just in the conversation just because but not a realistic choice to win it. mvps aren't on bottoms seeds or on the outside looking in. won't happen
It doesn't matter. Players on a team that will at best finish with the 8 seed have a 0 percent chance of winning MVP
I don't actually think he would win the award, but he is putting himself in position to certainly steal votes that could sway the outcome of the overall voting. Harden can't afford to lose any votes. We thought Curry was his only problem with maybe LeBron making a late push, but now Westbrook is certainly in the mix. Every sports show is talking about the guy and bringing up MVP when they mention his name.
Westbrook in the mix......? LOL, the 9th seeded Thunder. Stop, you are seriously wasting your time by typing out the name Anthony Davis or Russell Westbrook in any MVP conversation. It is between Curry and Harden. Lebron will get third, but how can you forget his awful start to the season and two week break. I wouldn't be mad if it were Curry, but we all know Harden has done more with less.
Apparently you fail to understand how the MVP vote is tallied. I never said he would win it. I said he has put himself in the conversation, which is a fact whether you like it or not and thus has positioned himself to steal votes from a more deserving candidate if he continues with his epic pace. He may steal a second or third place vote instead of a first, but at the end of the day, it will matter if the race between Curry and Harden is a close one.
Ok let me try to break this down into simple terms. I don't believe Russell Westbrook will win MVP this year. What I do believe is that if Harden continues to slump, he opening himself up to lose votes not just to Curry, but to a guy like Westbrook as well who has seemingly captivated the national media recently. He is on every show and in every discussion when MVP comes up and several guys have said they wouldn't vote for him right now, but if he continues to play like he has and the Thunder string together some wins, he would be a legit choice. This isn't my opinion. This is what I'm hearing and seeing guys saying outside of Clutchfans.
Right and he could steal votes from Harden/Curry which would give the other the award. I think it could be a historically close race.
