Milwaukee Bucks: Considering Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2019-20 MVP rivals

James Harden

On the one hand, I’d admit to being highly skeptical of James Harden’s MVP case this season. Harden has already had the misfortune of suffering from a sense of voter fatigue in recent years, and his path to this award would seem considerably more complicated given the addition of Russell Westbrook in Houston.

Another former MVP in his own right, Westbrook isn’t overly fond of sharing the ball, and the balance between those players at this point in their careers will be a challenge to say the least.

Then, on the other hand, it’s grown increasingly impossible to dismiss Harden’s historic scoring and playmaking exploits, and even more so just how consistently he manages to produce that brand of offensive excellence.

Last season proved that team success, and the idea of elevating and stabilizing a team from start to finish also factors into the MVP criteria for voters. A slight step back when pairing with Westbrook may not disqualify Harden, and could even bolster his case if the Rockets come out of the gate fast and maintain that pace over the course of the season.

Whether all of that comes together remains to be seen, but Harden deserves to be considered based on his phenomenal track record in recent years.