Most media members might not like nor want to admit it but James Harden is throwing his name into the MVP race. The former Rocket is nearly averaging a triple-double since coming to Brooklyn and he’s sporting a 25.4 player efficiency and a career-high 65.5 true shooting percentage.
Harden (+3300 to win MVP on PointsBet) may have strong-armed his way out of Houston, though he only missed two games of action while in Texas. His 27 games played on the season are one more than Joel Embiid (+250) and eight more than Kevin Durant (+1600).
Additionally, winning makes players into legit candidates for the award, something that Harden has assisted the Nets with. Brooklyn is 12-3 in Harden’s last 15 with the club, helping Brooklyn rise up in the standings (just 0.5 games behind Philadelphia in the standings; The Nets are actually favorites at -175 to win the Atlantic Division and end up with a better record than the Sixers).
More From Around The Eastern Conference
- While there were rumblings that Zach LaVine would participate in the dunk contest now that he’s an All-Star, the shooting guard will not be competing. LaVine told Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson that he’s “not going to do it.”
- Seth Curry, who missed Tuesday’s win over the Raptors because of an ankle injury, is probable for the Sixers’ matchup with the Mavs on Thursday, per the league’s injury report.
- Jerami Grant is sitting out of the Pistons’ matchup with the Pelicans on Wednesday for rest (second night of a back-to-back). We would never say Detroit is blatantly tanking, though they have already traded Derrick Rose and they continue to sit Blake Griffin while they search the market for a trade.
