James Harden will be MVP, but is he the best player in the league?

Kawhi was injured so obviously Harden had a better season than him. But if Harden & Kawhi at full health are on the free agent market, Kawhi clearly the more well rounded, accomplished player of the two. Kawhi likely the best two-way player in the NBA Westbrook has his issues, no doubt about it. But so does Harden. They are both unreliable late in games, get tunnel vision & start jacking up shots instead of being team players. But Westbrook for me is better simply on the basis of his defensive game. Harden dosent play any defense. Offensively Harden has slight edge but he also plays in a scorer friendly offense so his numbers are slightly inflated due to that.

The West was clearly tougher this year. Look at how bad TOR was in the playoffs. GS/HOU are the 2 top teams in the league, and then there's more good teams in the West than the East, though the East is getting better than previous years. If BOS(without 2 of their top 3 players) is the toughest team James had to face in the East, that's telling. James does have a little case for MVP, but Harden was more consistent throughout the year and I thought he played better during the regular season. Harden's team overachieved, while James' team underachieved. Seems like a pretty no-brain decision for MVP this season, especially with KD/Curry missing a lot of games and GS not even reaching 60 wins.

My argument is look at the statistics and then explain to me how it’s a landslide decision going Hardens way? It’s what I dont understand when I also look at these ESPN statistics. Personally I like Lebron’s numbers(marginally). Efficiency counts, and like to said he had a shit supporting cast. Yes it’s clear he’s the best player in the league, but although I am in the minority, I think his year was better also. I think the Lebron fatigue is real.

the west was not a "much tougher conference" this season. If you are Houston then only GSW are great and comparable next to you. Boston and Toronto were the next best teams.

Firstly, one game proves nothing. Especially in the context of a discussion about an award given for performance across 82 games. But more importantly, you seem to be misunderstanding what I'm saying here...I'm not denying Lebron isn't the best player in the league. Of course he is. But, in my humble opinion, Harden had the better regular season.

There's no definitive criteria for MVP, but history tells us that some combination of statistical production, team performance and a good narrative or story, are important factors. The MVP is not about finding an extraordinary player playing on an ordinary team...history tells us this. In the history of the award a team's record is very much part of MVP consideration. Of the 63 NBA MVPs from the 1955-56 season to the 2016-17 season, 39 played for the team with that year’s best regular season record, and 23 of them won that season’s championship. Only 6 have had a winning % &<60%. There's little evidence to suggest the MVP is about "the Most Valuable PLAYER not Most Valuable Player On The Best Team In The League". Actually, the evidence is to the contrary. Team record matters. And when you have two MVP candidates as close statistically as Lebron and Harden, the fact that one won 15 more games in a tougher conference means something. Especially when the other's team had a poor start to the year, and the worst defense in the league. You might classify MVP in a different way, and that's fine. I'm simply going by the standard that the league has set. And I'm not alone. ESPN has forecast Harden will win this year in a "landslide". 89% of their expert panel said Harden should win.

Astro anything after todays game?

astro "As for Harden being selfish and less valuable to the Rockets than Lebron is to Cleveland, again, I don’t see how that impacts MVP. Of course the Rockets have more talent. But they also won 15 more games in a much tougher conference, and Harden was the backbone of their season." You are kind of arguing against yourself here. If LeBron is more valuable to his team than Harden then is he not more deserving of the MVP? It is Most Valuable PLAYER not Most Valuable Player On The Best Team In The League. I get that Houston would not have been the best team without Harden but you put LeBron on that team and they win 70+ games and beat the Warriors in 5

James has been the best player in the playoffs, but wasn't for the regular season. Both matter. Harden stepped up, but it's highly unlikely 1 AS will beat 4 AS, especially when your best teammate misses the final 2 games. He did amazing just to get it to a game 7. Unless something weird happens, the Finals should be a beatdown by GS.

I’m not too sure Hardens regular numbers are superior anyway?? He averaged five more points than LeBron but that’s not really an edge when you look at the field goal percentages. Harden just took more shots. Similar assists, more rebounds for LeBron(obviously), Hardens better at the line and very good at getting to the line, but LeBron had lots of turmoil and an inferior supporting cast. And he is more clutch. I don’t believe it’s a fact that the Rockets would of beaten the Cavs like Peeko insisted though. Chris Paul probably gets injured and Harden more than likely chokes again, which would make it pretty interesting actually. I’d pick the Rockets, but only just. But you put LeBron on that team and Harden on the Cavs, then the Rockets win in a canter. That’s a fact.

I agree that much of this comes down to how you define "valuable", and for the record, I'm not denying Lebron didn't have a great year. He was incredible. But I just don't buy the 'every one would pick Lebron first if every player was available, therefore he's MVP' argument. Everyone knows Lebron's the best player in the world. Maybe he's the best player ever! But that's not what the MVP trophy is for. The Jordan analogy was obviously not serious...but was just designed to emphasise that point. As for Harden being selfish and less valuable to the Rockets than Lebron is to Cleveland, again, I don't see how that impacts MVP. Of course the Rockets have more talent. But they also won 15 more games in a much tougher conference, and Harden was the backbone of their season. He put up an historically good offensive season, and the Rockets finished tied for 6th in the league on PPG, so he held up well on defense. He was hugely valuable to the Rockets whether they have more talent or not. I'm a huge Lebron homer, and have watched and supported him through most of his career, but he shouldn't have won MVP this year, despite being the best in the league. That's just not how it works...

The argument about Jordan while playing Baseball is beyond stupid. Brian did say "in the league" and Jordan was very much NOT in the league as he was playing Baseball. I understand that the regular season MVP is just that, based on the regular season, but considering the rosters of the Cavs and the Rockets and the overhaul of the Cavs roster mid-season I am not sure you can just blow of what LeBron achieved this year! The guy played every game this season and sure he took shifts off during games but don't try to say that Harden did not. The difference between LeBron and guys like Harden and Westbrook is that he cares about the end game and not just himself. Harden takes some really dumb shots when he has others open and when he is bad he is REALLY bad. Same goes for Westbrook. I guess it depends how you define "Valuable"? Take Harden out of the Rockets team and they probably still scrape into the playoffs. Take LeBron off the Cavs and they are lucky to win 10 games.

Most Valuable Player......if you are not there when it counts, be it scoring a clutch basket or playing a game changing defence, or giving that pass to score, do the dirty stuff and providing that block knowing you going to be creamed n do that all season, then you should be looked at. Scoring is great, so is defence , it all counts ....Hadden , not for me.

Sure, but the award is not given to the guy everyone knows is the best player...its the guy who had the best season. In the year MJ took off to play baseball, should he have won MVP? If you lined everyone up like a schoolyard with the 30 coaches and said to them here which player would you like with pick 1, everyone would have taken Jordan, even if he was wearing a baseball outfit...

Have to disagree. If you watched the first half of the season, you'd know that MVP argument is baseless. Harden was phenomenally good this year. Houston finished with the best record in the league, with Harden as their best player and beat out the Warriors for wins, despite them having possibly the best roster in history. Lebron didn't play hard in the first half of the season, and let his team fall apart around him. He was fantastic post the All-Star break, but the season is 82 games long. The idea that Harden will win MVP because of 'Lebron fatigue' is really invalidating of Harden's performance which was exceptional. Simply put, his season was better than Lebron's. Also find it strange that you could rank Harden below Kawhi, who didn't play the entire year, and Westbrook, who's team almost didn't even make the playoffs, is beyond me. And don't tell me the answer is triple-doubles!

I'm not a hardcore NBA fan but it seems to me Lebron is clearly the most valuable player in the league. If you lined everyone up like a schoolyard with the 30 coaches and said to them here which player would you like with pick 1 I predict 30/30 would take Lebron Maybe they should just rename it Nthe BA MVP not called Lebron award.

I don't consider Harden to be even in the top 5 players in the league. He puts up great numbers in an offensive oriented system under D'Antoni but plays no defense Off top of my head obviously Lebron i would take before Harden. Also Kawhi ,Anthony Davis, Durant ,Curry & Westbrook. Harden is a good player but definitely not the best i don't even consider him most valuable player. Lebron is FAR more valuable to Cleveland than Harden is to Houston but its a media award so there's a Lebron fatigue, they give it to someone else because they are tired of handing it to the obvious choice every season

Spot on. The best for that regular season. LeBron is the best player in the league currently, but MVP is not about that. LeBron steps up when it really matters ie:The play off's.

Zack, I'm guessing you've only started watching since the conference finals began, right? There's an amazing irony in your article you should be aware of...This year, Lebron's LACK of leadership basically cost him MVP! Lebron was miserable before the deadline trades, and showed ZERO leadership during a time when the Cavs really needed him to galvanise his team. From Zach Lowe: "LeBron at times stood still instead of rotating on defense. He occasionally decided not to close out on shooters. During Cleveland's nadir, a couple of shooters caught the ball behind the arc, looked at LeBron as if expecting him to rush out, realized he had no plans to move, shrugged, and fired. Almost every other Cav played with the same sloth. It was, frankly, astonishing."

The MVP is not an award for the best player in the league, but for the best player in the regular season for that particular season. The timing of awards need not be changed for the "casual" or only mildly interested fan because they'll only be mildly interested anyway.