NBA: Top 10 candidates for MVP in 2017-18
6. James Harden
The sad truth is James Harden‘s MVP window may have already closed, especially after he submitted two of the finest non-MVP seasons in NBA history (2014-15 and 2016-17) and still couldn’t get past the runner-up spot.
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The arrival of Chris Paul will make the Houston Rockets a legitimate championship contender, most likely boosting their record from the impressive 55 wins they posted last year. However, even a surge up the standings won’t help Harden’s MVP case if his own numbers take a hit, which they’re almost certain to do if the ball is taken out of his hands.
Mike D’Antoni now has two elite point guards to play with, and while there’s too much basketball I.Q here for it to not work, Harden almost certainly isn’t going to put up 29.1 points, 11.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game like he did last year.
With that being said, if the two-time MVP runner-up is playing off the ball more, he stands to gain from easier looks and spot-up opportunities supplied by CP3. This could help him elevate his scoring numbers into truly elite territory, improve his .440/.347/.847 shooting splits and even conserve energy for the defensive end.
The Beard certainly has his work cut out for him to keep up his eye-popping stats, increase his team’s win total, incorporate a new star teammate and somehow still improve his defense, but no one was expecting last year’s MVP case, so we certainly shouldn’t rule it out with an even better Rockets team taking flight in 2017-18.