James Harden was one of the best players of the 2010s and proved to the entire world in that decade that he was a one-man offensive system. His time with the Houston Rockets saw him make the team into perennial conference finalists but fall short to teams like the Golden State Warriors repeatedly.
Harden ended up leaving Houston in 2020-21 and was traded to the Brooklyn Nets where Harden looked like an MVP candidate. However, he would soon struggle with injuries and came into last season overweight, having taken a hit to his confidence. This season, Harden is motivated to slim down and compete for an MVP on the Philadelphia 76ers.
"I've always said that if my conditioning can be level with my skill set, my IQ, and the work I put in, it's MVP"
James Harden has high expectations for himself this season.@BGeltzNBA | @SamMitchellNBA| @Sixers pic.twitter.com/ZlvROJpgUo
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) September 27, 2022
“The hamstring is nothing to play with. Fortunately for me, I never really had a serious injury in my time and in life in general. The last 2 summers in the pandemic and last summer was all recovery, it was all rehab and all. Now, I get a full summer to actually play pick-up. Working out individually and playing pick-up are two totally different things, it’s a different kind of conditioning and I hadn’t had that. For me, I had an entire summer not worrying about pick-up and having fun with the basketball game. I am in a really good space honestly. Tomorrow, we hit the ground running and we got 3 more weeks to get into even better shape. I am dedicating myself to get in the best shape I can because I am getting older. I’ve always said that if my conditioning can be level with my skill set, my IQ, and the work I put in, it’s MVP
Can James Harden Actually Contend For MVP?
Until last season, James Harden was a perennial name in the top five for MVP voting. His role on the Houston Rockets was so large that Harden was regularly leading the league in scoring and dominating on the court. His hamstring injury in Brooklyn slowed him down severely and he could return to the form if healthy.
Harden excels in the regular season and has done so various times in the past. Competing alongside Joel Embiid is going to be a challenge considering how Embiid has finished behind Nikola Jokic in the award race for the last 2 seasons. Harden and Embiid will take away votes from each other if both are playing at a high level, so an MVP might be a bridge too far.
If the 76ers can establish themselves as the best team in the league and Embiid goes after being named the Defensive Player of the Year, maybe Harden can put in an MVP-quality season offensively and bring home 2 awards for the 76ers before making a run to bringing the Larry O’Brien trophy to the city of Brotherly Love.
