It seems inevitable that Houston Rockets guard James Harden will be named this year’s NBA MVP. Harden has a 68.1 percent probability of winning the award, per Basketball-Reference. Next highest on the list are Cavs swingman LeBron James (8.3 percent) and Rockets guard Chris Paul (7.3 percent).
Harden has been easily the best offensive player in the league, and his team was easily the best in the league as well. The Rockets claimed the No. 1 seed in the loaded Western Conference.
Harden has a fan in Kobe Bryant. During an appearance on ESPN’s new morning program, Get Up, on Tuesday morning, Bryant said Harden would get his vote for MVP.
According to @kobebryant, James Harden has had an MVP-worthy season. pic.twitter.com/Gy0gob3Fp4
— Get Up (@Get_Up) April 17, 2018
“Well, I think James has done so much all season long,” Kobe said. “And for the last two years he’s been playing phenomenally well, and had it not been for Westbrook’s historic run last year, he certainly would have won MVP last year…he deserves to be rewarded. This guy has worked his butt off for the entire season.”
That seems like a thinly veiled, slight dig at LeBron, who turned it on in the second half of the season (in particular, after the Cavs blew their roster up at the trade deadline). LeBron has also been known to take defensive plays off every once in a while.
Bryant somehow only won one MVP in his storied career, in 2008, but he knows a thing or two about dominance. He won five NBA titles and was an 18-time All-Star in his 20-year career.
Looking Ahead
Harden has averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. In Game One of the Rockets’ series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the likely MVP dropped 44 points on 15-for-26 shooting.
Game Two of Houston versus Minnesota is set for Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. EST.
