Rockets’ James Harden is the NBA MVP, and it’s not close

NBA rumors: Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden trade

Nov 30, 2019; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) dribbles the ball against the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Houston Rockets guard James Harden is doing things on an NBA court we have not seen since the great Wilt Chamberlain. That includes Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

Harden heads into the weekend averaging 37.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. This would be the highest per-game average since Chamberlain was bullying smaller players.

The premise: Despite potential shortcomings elsewhere, Harden has proven that he’s the NBA MVP. It’s not necessarily even that close. Here’s a look at the top NBA MVP contenders less than two months into the season.

PlayerPPGRPGAPGSPGFG%PER
James Harden37.66.17.51.8.43931.8
Giannis Antetokounmpo31.013.25.51.4.56534.0
Luka Doncic30.310.19.21.4.47831.9
Anthony Davis26.09.16.21.4.49028.5
LeBron James25.47.010.81.4.49827.2
Pascal Siakam25.08.63.80.9.46419.6
Kawhi Leonard25.07.95.31.9.43924.7
PlayerPoints per shot
Harden1.64
Antetokounmpo1.54
Doncic1.49
Davis1.41
James1.29
Siakam1.25
Leonard1.22

The knock on Harden in the past is that he has not been efficient. He takes a lot of shots. Hence, the high per-game average. That has not been the case.

Speaking of efficiency: The raw numbers tell us a story of a dude that is dominating at all levels offensively. Historical levels.

This leads us to another point: Harden has improved vastly on the defensive end of the court. It’s like night and day.

Record matters, a lot of season left: We’re talking about who is currently the MVP. There are other factors that will play into this as the season progresses.

The bottom line

As noted above, there’s a lot of season to go. What we do know is that Harden has been historically good on offense and vastly improved defensively.

Sure the likes of James, Davis, Leonard and George get more national press. That’s the nature of the beast with the Lakers and Clippers existing in the second-largest media market in North America.

Luka Doncic is an international sensation. Giannis has been since he entered the league. Meanwhile, Harden simply continues to up his game to levels we have not seen in recent history.

Should Houston win 50-plus games with Harden continuing at somewhat near his current pace, he’s the hands-down MVP. That’s not even in question right now.

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