NBA: Ranking every MVP winner in league history

SANTA MONICA, CA - JUNE 25: James Harden, winner of the 2017-2018 MVP award, poses with his mom Monja Willis in the backstage photo room during the 2018 NBA Awards at Barker Hangar on June 25, 2018 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images) /

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James Harden, Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images /

NBA: Ranking every MVP winner in league history: 23. James Harden

Stats:

25.1 points
6.5 assists
5.5 rebounds

Accomplishments:

9 time All-Star
7 time All-NBA
Former Sixth Man of the Year
1 time MVP

So far, James Harden has worn every hat on an NBA court. He’s been asked to wave the towel and cheer on teammates at the end of the bench. He’s also been asked to lead the second unit. For the most part during his career, Harden has been the face of a franchise.

Harden’s numbers have looked cartoonish. Three times has he led the league in points per game and once has he led the league in dishes. Yet for as great as he’s been, his postseason play has always left more question marks than answers.

In five of his eight years in Houston when he officially became the man, Harden’s numbers have decreased from the regular season to the postseason. And with that, his gaudy play when the lights haven’t shone the brightest has made his numbers somewhat extraneous.

Harden is a great, maybe even historically great, but until his regular-season exploits, which include dropping 50 and 60 points games without dropping a sweat, match his postseason play, Harden will never rise near the top of this list.