The MVP race this season has been a dead heat between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden. You can make a solid case for either of them, and you wouldn’t have any problem massaging the numbers to suit your argument.
The Hardenites point to his transcendent scoring ability, which has unfolded in historic fashion this season with a dizzying streak of 30-plus point performances and a pair of career-best 61-point explosions that have distinguished him not only as the best offensive player on the planet today, but near the top rung in all of NBA history.
The case for Giannis skews more toward his all-around dominance, often with an emphasis on his ability to leverage his astonishing length and speed as a defender to disrupt everything his opponents try to do. And it’s that discrepancy that tends to irk Mike D’Antoni when it comes to this debate. The Rockets coach recently made his case for Harden’s candidacy and did so while passionately lobbying for Harden’s efficacy on the side of the court that is perceived as his weakness.
Hours before a matchup featuring the top two MVP candidates, Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni made the case for James Harden by discussing the Houston star’s defense. Yes, Harden’s defense. pic.twitter.com/3FkrwmcYCO
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 26, 2019
Shocking as it might be, the numbers certainly seem to bear it out. After earning the dubious distinction as one of the league’s most egregiously disengaged defenders, Harden has shown marked improvement on that side of the ball in recent years.
Ultimately, it’s up to the voters to decide who they think is most deserving, and the criteria remains just as amorphous as it’s always been. But that won’t stop teammates and coaches for planting seeds for their guys as the regular season continues to wind down.
