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Did James Harden Get Snubbed For MVP?

By Mauricio Putz

Apr 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Rockets beat the Mavs 130-128. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) during the game against the Dallas Mavericks in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. The Rockets beat the Mavs 130-128. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ladies and gentlemen, Golden State Warriors‘ Stephen Curry is your 2014-15 KIA NBA Most Valuable Player.

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After a dominant performance through a whole season and the first round of the playoffs, Stephen Curry’s 1,198 points and 100 first-place votes were more than enough to trump James Harden‘s 936 points and 25 first-place votes for the league’s Most Valuable Pplayer award.

During the 2014-15 season, James Harden led the injury-riddled Houston Rockets to a 56-26 record. Stephen Curry led an “innexperienced” Warriors team to a franchise-record 67-win season and evolved into one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen, so far.

Now, as we take a step back from the celebration, we look at why James Harden — a well-deserved candidate —  was deemed unworthy of the most coveted individual award in basketball.

From ESPN.com:

"“All of us are pretty upset he didn’t win but our goal is to win the championship,” – Dwight Howard"

For the season, James Harden was second in points per game with 27.4 and shot an incredibly solid .440/.375/.868 from the field. He was ninth in the league in assists per game with seven. And as impressive as those numbers might seem, they’re nothing compared to what Stephen Curry did for the season.

Curry was sixth in the league with 23.8 points per game, and even though that’s not close to Harden’s, his .487/.443/.914 shooting averages left him a mere 2 percent short of joining the exclusive/elusive 50/40/90 club.

James Harden

Shotchart_1430779647866
Shotchart_1430779647866 /

Stephen Curry

Shotchart_1430779617782
Shotchart_1430779617782 /

(Note: Look at all that green…)

On a monthly basis, Stephen Curry edged James Harden, on a player efficiency basis, five out of the seven months of the season.

Screen Shot 2015-05-04 at 8.17.03 PM
Screen Shot 2015-05-04 at 8.17.03 PM /

Also, versus opponents with a top-10 record, Stephen Curry had a jaw-dropping 25.8 player efficiency rating, whereas James Harden had only a 22.1 PER.

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2 Houston Rockets international players that never played a single minute
2 Houston Rockets international players that never played a single minute /

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    • Of course, he Warriors reaped the benefits of a very healthy 10-deep roster that included defensive superstar/Defensive Player of the Year snub Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Andrew Bogut, Andre Iguodala, and a rejuvenated Shawn Livingston, all of whom played at least 67 games.

    Nevertheless, it was Stephen Curry’s otherworldly performance throughout the season was the main reason the Golden State Warriors had the NBA’s best record while joining the 1972 Los Angeles Lakers, 1971 Milwaukee Bucks, and 1996 Chicago Bulls, to name a few, as one of the best teams ever, per point differential.

    Conversely, the Houston Rockets had a very unhealthy season as they went through an array of injuries to notable players, such as Dwight Howard (missed 41 games), Terrence Jones (missed 49 games), Donatas Motiejunas (missed 11 games), and Patrick Beverley (missed 26 games).

    It was James Harden’s performance which eventually led them to the second seed in the Western Conference.

    From ESPN.com:

    "“That’s tough, but we’re in the second round of the playoffs and I got better things to worry about and that’s the Clippers. They’re a very good team that’s rolling right now and it didn’t work out. But there’s more of the season to continue to play.” – James Harden"

    Even if the Rockets were to eventually cap this amazing run with the third title in franchise history, James Harden won’t join 1998 Michael Jordan or 2011 LeBron James, in which both players lost the MVP award due to a case of “voter fatigue,” as one of the biggest MVP snubs in history. And even amid the fellow Rockets’ disappointment/disbelief, Curry is a much-deserved MVP.

    Any other season, James Harden’s case would’ve been strong enough for him to run away with the most coveted individual award in basketball, however, Stephen Curry’s performance, catapulted by the Golden State Warriors’ season-long dominance, eventually deemed James Harden’s superb performance, an unworthy one.

    Next: Rockets: The Beginning of the End

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