After 2017’s infamous Game 6 defeat at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, many questions arose from Houston Rockets fans and foes alike as to the intestinal fortitude of James Harden. The more level-headed among us realized, however, that Harden was still growing as a player, and with simply a little patience and some lineup tweaks, there would be MVPs and/or titles in the future for The Bearded One (I mentioned this in last season’s Harden recap).
Well, Harden went out this season and proved us patience preachers correct by putting in his finest season of work to date, and when the NBA awards ceremony commences on Monday night, he’s virtually assured of his first-ever MVP trophy.