Why James Harden is the early frontrunner for MVP

After guiding the Houston Rockets off to a 10-3 start, James Harden appears to be the early frontrunner in the race for the MVP Award in 2017-18.

Through the first three and a half weeks of the 2017-18 regular season, James Harden has managed to showcase that he is truly in a league of his own.

The 28-year-old guard — who finished as the runner-up in the MVP race in two out of the last three seasons, is currently averaging a career-best 30.5 points, 9.8 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Houston Rockets. He has led the franchise to a hot start for the second consecutive season, as No. 13 appears to be the consensus frontrunner to take home the Maurice Podoloff Trophy this time around.

Why, you ask?

Because the man known as The Beard has come back playing better basketball than ever, and is doing things that your favorite player has yet to do in their entire career early in the season.

Despite the absence of his backcourt sidekick Chris Paul, Harden has found a way to shoulder the load for the Rockets as of late. Playing an average of 36.3 minutes per game, he’s guided his team to the top of the Western Conference standings with a 10-3 record, and is posting stat lines so absurd that it might leave his detractors to check their eyesight after reading them.

Over the last three contests, Harden has averaged a total of 43 points, 11.3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game for the Rockets, and has hit at least six 3-pointers or more in five straight outings — the longest streak in NBA history, en route to carrying Houston to its best 13-game start since the 1996-97 season (12-1).

Just last week, Harden put together one of the most historically efficient shooting performances in the last 30 years, against one of the game’s best defenses — scoring a career-high 56 points on 19-for-25 shooting from the field, while dishing out 13 assists, to guide the Rockets to a 137-110 win against the Utah Jazz.

Becoming the first NBA player since Michael Jordan to score 50 points or more on 25 shots or less, and only the second player in the history of the game to put together a night that is rarely duplicated by the game’s most superior marksmen:

And yet, Harden wasn’t done. Just days after he was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks, he followed up his 56-point act by dropping 35 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals at home in a 117-113 victory against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a nationally-televised showdown.

This placed himself alongside His Airness in the history books for the second time in a four-day span.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/929002784434937856

This also helped elevate his stock in the conversation for the MVP award, as Harden appears to be arguably the best player on the court every single night, and the primary driving force behind the Rockets’ success in the Western Conference.

"“Right now, he’s taking it to another level,” Rockets reserve guard Bobby Brown told ESPN‘s Tim McMahon in regards to Harden’s play last week. “And he has to because we need to score, pass, rebound, get steals and all that.”"

Harden is breaking down defenders off the dribble in the manner of a highly-esteemed surgeon every single night, generating offense for not only himself, but the likes of Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson, P.J. Tucker and Clint Capela.

He’s averaging nearly two steals per game in the process, and while he has not rebounded at the clip in which he has in previous years, his teammates have managed to help him pick up the slack.

As a result, Houston appears to be one of the best teams in the league through the first few weeks of the season.

https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/928985628980625408

The Rockets currently sit in second place among all teams in offensive rating, third in net rating, and boast the second-best record behind the Boston Celtics, who currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with an 11-2 record.

None of this would be possible at all without Harden, the player Houston has relied upon more than any other star in the league since last season. He also has little to any competition to contend with him in the running for the game’s highest individual honor.

Kawhi Leonard has yet to suit up this season for the San Antonio Spurs. LeBron James and the Cavaliers are currently seeking to regain footing in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

And while many have been quick to hop aboard the Giannis Antetokounmpo train as of late, his hot start to the season has barely been enough to help the Milwaukee Bucks get over .500.

Next: 2017-18 Week 4 NBA Power Rankings

Prior to last year, winning the MVP was associated with a player’s level of excellence combined with leading his respective team to uncharted heights, and if Harden is able to do just that — then there is a strong possibility that the All-Star might have some precious hardware awaiting him by season’s end.