James Harden Favored Early On To Win The NBA Most Valuable Player Award

The NBA Most Valuable Player race is just getting started, but people around the NBA can already see a dazzling race among super-duperstars. You know which player is likely to win the scoring title. You know which player is likely to have the best combination of scoring and rebounding numbers. You know which player will have a great chance to win the award if his team performs well enough. Let’s lay out the details to make sure the contours of the race are known in late November.

JAMES HARDEN, HOUSTON ROCKETS
NBA MVP ODDS: +175

The Harden case for MVP will be built on scoring. Harden averages roughly six rebounds per game and nearly eight assists, which are impressive numbers, but Harden will hang his hat on scoring. He’s currently averaging an incredible 38.4 points per game heading into Thursday’s action, which is an absurd number. If he’s able to maintain those numbers, that would be the third-best scoring average of all-time and the best season-long number since 1963.

The reason Harden is scoring that much: he is getting to the free throw line more than 14 times each game, making almost 13 free throws every game night. If Harden can continue to draw that many fouls and earn that many trips to the charity stripe, he will continue to average in the high 30’s

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, MILWAUKEE BUCKS
NBA MVP ODDS: +200

The main reason Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the NBA MVP, if he does win the award, is his combination of scoring, rebounding and defense. Giannis currently averages 30.5 points and 13.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks, an outrageously awesome statistical combination which reflects his youthful strength, relentless energy, and determination to dominate the game near the basket. Antetokounmpo will have to pace himself over the course of the season, but he is at a point in his career where load management is not as urgent a consideration as it is for older superstars such as Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James.

This probably comes down to which team wins the most games. The Milwaukee Bucks led the NBA in that category last season and that helped the Greek Freak earn the award. If it’s the Rockets who finish with more wins or if Harden continues his gaudy scoring, he’ll have the eventual edge.

LEBRON JAMES, LOS ANGELES LAKERS
NBA MVP ODDS: +600

The LeBron stat line is very good: 25.0 points, 11.1 assists and 7.9 rebounds. The stats reflect LeBron’s versatility and his knack for being productive in every aspect of competition. The reality which transcends those numbers is that LeBron has been very influential and productive on defense for the Los Angeles Lakers. He isn’t getting everything out of his offense because he is making sure to devote time and energy to defense. That means his near triple-double stat line is lower than what it could be.

If the Los Angeles Lakers get the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, LeBron doesn’t need to win the scoring title or match Giannis’ 14 rebounds per game. Lifting the Lakers to the top of a loaded Western Conference, past the Clippers and the Houston Rockets, would earn a massive amount of respect from voters. The Lakers’ results will dictate where LeBron finishes in MVP voting.

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