I have already fortified myself for the haters that will come from this column.
So bring it!
It is true that in March, I said that I would vote for James Harden to be NBA MVP. At the time, the Rockets were on a 15-game winning-streak and had the best record in basketball, with Harden as their undisputed best player. The Cavs had just reconstituted half its roster less than a month earlier. I assumed that would eliminate “HIM” from any consideration to challenge Harden for the honor.
What changed my mind?
Have you been watching these NBA playoffs? Did you pay attention to the last month of the season? If the answer to either question is yes, you should not even need to ask that question.
This isn’t about what Harden hasn’t done. He averaged about 30 points and 8 assist during the regular season and has maintained that level of play during the playoffs. This is no small feat. It’s about what “HE” has done. During the regular season, “HE” averaged 27 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists. “HE” has maintained the assists, raised the rebounds from 9 to 10, and points from 27 to about 34. Add two game-winners for good measure and to think we are not even in the conference finals yet.
How about the supporting cast for each? I’ll concede that without Harden in the deep Western Conference, where 46 wins were not enough to get Denver into the playoffs, the Rockets would have struggled to make the playoffs. Without “HIM”, not only do the Cavs miss the playoffs, but it’s a lottery team.
Let’s preempt the most common darts used by “HIS” haters:
1) Michael Jordan never lost in the NBA finals: That is actually a team analysis. Jordan did not win any NBA title by himself any more than “HE” has lost any by himself. Jordan’s teams never won without Scottie Pippen. “HIS” teams have won without Dwyane Wade;
2) To be a 6’8 260 lbs. former all-state football player from talent rich Ohio, he whines too much for calls: I completely agree. That annoys me as well;
3) The “take my talents to South Beach” forever branded him as an unrepentant narcissist: maybe so but you must admit, it was marketing brilliance;
4) MVP is not supposed to consider the post season: technically true, but you cannot have it both ways. For years the shortcoming was “HIS” failure to win a title. That is postseason. Now that one can no longer cite this, it’s something else?
5) “HE” ain’t going to beat the Warriors: I don’t believe “HIS” team will either. But if beating a team with 4 all-stars and 3 recent MVPs is the bar to stop the hate, you are embarrassingly grasping for straws.
Last year while trying to make his case for MVP, Harden argued that playing all 82 games should count for something. He was right and as if to respond to Harden, after 15 years in the league, “HE” played all 82 games this year. Harden played 72. There clearly is no comparison between the two as defenders. If “HE” finds a way to carry this subpar Cavs roster to the NBA Finals, it would be “HIS” 8th straight appearance. You have to go back to the great Bill Russell Celtics of the 1960s for the last time any player has done this. It will compare to what Iverson was able to do with the 2001 Sixers……but at least he had the same roster for the entire year.
Surely by now you have noticed that I haven’t mentioned “HIS” name. There are two reasons for that, 1) to throw a bone to the haters who are losing their minds, not only because I say “HE” is MVP this year again, but the blasphemy of affirming that “HE” is not only worthy of the MJ comparison, but has a case for being better; and 2) you need not speak the name of royalty. Everybody knows who is “KING”!
