By Teddy Caputo, Contributing Writer
With less than a month left in the NBA season, fans are left wondering how the race for the regular season MVP will end up. Many players have made a case for the award this season, but to me, there’s only one player that stands out more than the rest: the Houston Rockets’ James Harden.
As a superstar shooting guard, Harden has led the Rockets to a league-best 56-14 record this season and currently leads the NBA in points scored per game (ppg) with 30.9 in the process. Houston holds the top seed in the Western Conference so far, one spot higher than the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
The Rockets have many newer players contributing to their recent success, such as Chris Paul (18.7 ppg, 8.0 apg, 5.5 rpg), Eric Gordon (18.2 ppg, 2.2 apg, 2.5 rpg), Clint Capela (14.2 ppg, 0.9 apg, 10.9 rpg) and recent acquisition Gerald Green (11.3 ppg, 0.4 apg, 3.0 rpg in 28 games with the Rockets). However, the Rockets wouldn’t have the top seed in the Western Conference if it wasn’t for the phenomenal play of James Harden this season.
Not only does Harden lead the NBA with 30.9 points per game, he leads the team in assists per game (8.7; third in NBA) and steals per game (1.9). He also has a player efficiency rating of 30.3, the best in the league. Here are some other players’ stats who are also in the running for MVP alongside Harden:
Lebron James: 27.1 ppg (fourth in NBA), 8.6 rpg, 9.0 apg (second in NBA), PER (28.2, third in NBA)
Russell Westbrook: 25.2 ppg (eighth in NBA). 9.7 rpg, 10.2 apg (first in NBA), PER (24.5, 12th in NBA).
These players are having great seasons and are all on playoff-contending teams, but none of them can compare to the caliber of season Harden is having. There are three key points that solidify Harden’s case for winning the MVP award this year.
First, the Houston Rockets have the best record in the NBA and are having one of their best regular seasons in franchise history. Second, Harden is having an overall better season than other players across the stat line. Although he’s not outperforming all the major stats this season or averaging a triple-double every game, like last year’s MVP Russell Westbrook, his 30.3 player efficiency rating (PER) proves the caliber of his ability.
Third, Harden is not on a team that was considered a “super team” at the beginning of the NBA season. From the league’s perspective, a super team equips itself with a number of superstars so they can keep up with the other teams in the playoff race, better securing a shot at an NBA title. The Warriors made this trend popular these past few years, especially after the signing of 2014 MVP Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016. Although the Rockets added many key pieces around Harden, they are not labeled as a super team.
This year has been the biggest year for the super team so far. It has been beneficial to teams in improving their overall records and playoff chances, but it can hinder individual performances when there are many scoring options on the same team. Players, like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, are MVP candidates on super teams whose records are worse than the Rockets’ record.
Harden has had an undeniable hand in the Rockets’ success this season, even though the team wasn’t expected to play this well. Everyone’s eyes were on super teams like the Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers, until now. After his outstanding performance so far, I believe Harden should win MVP this season.
Teddy Caputo is a contributing writer at The Bona Venture
His email is caputoej16@bonaventure.edu
Photo courtesy of espn.com
