Houston Rockets: 3 reasons James Harden is the MVP frontrunner
1. The better narrative
The NBA is a league driven by its narratives — always has been and always will be. The same goes for the MVP trophy. Both voters and fans prefer to attach themselves to the specific story of a player, one that is both compelling and exciting to watch.
Harden’s main competitor for the coveted award this season has been Giannis Antetokounmpo. In leading his Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA, the Greek Freak is averaging a ridiculous 27.5 points on 58.0 percent shooting to go along with 12.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game.
For as dominant as he’s been, though, there’s a case to be made that Antetokounmpo isn’t the biggest reason for the team’s success this season. That title might belong to new head coach Mike Budenholzer, whose system has unlocked Milwaukee’s full potential as one of the best teams on each end of the court.
The Bucks have experienced minimal struggles due to injury for most of the season, while the additions of snipers such as Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova have also managed to play a large role in Milwaukee’s potent offensive attack.
Compare this to Harden, who was forced into a solo act for much of the season because of injuries across the board. He had to integrate a number of midseason acquisitions on the fly as a way to counter those tethered to the bench, and has seemingly had to do everything for this Houston squad just to remain competitive most nights.
Granted, he was very much a part of the team that started off 11-14, good for 14th in the conference. However, he was also the one who, rather than let the Rockets collapse under the weight of expectations and a failed offseason, dragged them through the mud back to the level many expected them to be at heading into the season.
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Giannis has been fantastic all year, but the Bucks’ ascension has been due mostly to what the front office added in the offseason. Harden’s squad lost key players over the summer and for extended periods of time during the regular season as well, and yet they’re still standing as one of the best in the West because of their MVP’s ability to get them there.