NBA MVP Race: 3 keys to James Harden’s MVP case
By Duncan Smith
It’s hard to fathom a worse start to an NBA season for a superstar than the one James Harden had. He forced his way off the Houston Rockets in ugly fashion, essentially deciding to do whatever it took to get out of town.
It worked and nine games into the season Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in what ended up being a four-team blockbuster involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers as facilitating teams. He joined what was essentially Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving’s team, and any hopes of a second NBA trophy was surely dashed.
After all, he had an ugly divorce from the Rockets, which played poorly in the press, and nobody has ever won the MVP award as the third wheel on their own team.
NBA MVP Race: 3 keys to James Harden’s MVP case
Well, it’s a long season and plenty can change in a hurry. Harden has rebuilt his image in a hurry and the Nets have been one of the winningest teams in the NBA since he joined them. Most of that has been without Kevin Durant, and a decent amount has been without Kyrie Irving as well.
The NBA MVP race has been one of the most competitive in recent memory, and injuries to Joel Embiid and LeBron James have made the field even more complicated to parse through. We’ll take a look at James Harden’s case, and what needs to happen for him to be the frontrunner in the race.