James Harden on MVP race: Wins most important

The competition for Most Valuable Player, led by the Rockets’ James Harden and Thunder’s Russell Westbrook, has generated enormous interest and whatever benefit comes from that.

Can you believe we’re down to only two games left in the National Basketball Association regular season?

“I think we played well”, Harden said.

The irksome thing about the MVP debate is the narrative that Westbrook and even Harden to a degree are dragging their teams to 54 and 46 wins, respectively, practically singlehandedly while Leonard supposedly has an all-world supporting cast.

I’m taking the Rockets to win this series in seven games.

Media members, not coaches, vote on the award at the regular season’s conclusion.

Harden and Westbrook are having historic seasons.

The voting may come down to the team for which each MVP candidate plays, and their success on the floor.

Westbrook did the unexpected. He’ll shoot 20 or 60 percent, but he’ll somehow get a triple-double and hit a 30-foot three pointer at the buzzer to win the game.

Harden did the unexpected. We’re attaching far more drama, intrigue and importance to something that’s ultimately a footnote to distract ourselves from the likelihood of the playoffs being an anti-climatic bore.

LeBron James did the unexpected. The Pelicans’ star averaged 28 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. The MVP race is tight, real tight. That makes him the MVP.

Tim Duncan’s retirement after last season represented a ceremonious passing of the torch to Leonard as the Spurs’ No. 1 player. Oladipo is the NBA’s best “second perimeter defender” on any team. They just don’t have the MVP. They weren’t supposed to be good, so anything that happens will be an over-achievement.

Harden has been sensational in leading the Rockets to the Western Conference’s third seed. After entering the league and carving a name for himself based off his defensive play, Leonard’s offensive value has sky-rocketed. He added nine more in the third quarter when the Rockets continued making 3-pointers and led 107-89 heading into the fourth.

Thibodeau on Harden: “Obviously the individual part of it is unbelievable, but it is also what he has done for the team”. Those numbers from Leonard are not unexpected.

Tracking the voting and voters is more relevant than ever since the NBA will not be declaring an MVP victor until hosting an awards show following the NBA Finals. New teammate Lou Williams happens to be second on that list. So I wouldn’t just look at the last few games, but judge the whole package. He is as deserving as the rest of the top candidates.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden, center, drives to the basket between Sacramento Kings’ Willie Cauley-Stein, left, and Anthony Tolliver, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Sa. He put up the stats. Giannis Antetokounmpo is officially at a level of talent where he can just will his team to win games.

This lends support to LeBron’s already strong case.