Essay Sample on James Harden: 2018-2019 NBA MVP

Introduction

I am talking on behalf of many people who should have won the NBA MVP award in the 2018-2019 season. Last year Giannis Antetokounmpo won the M.V.P. award over James Harden. I believe that Harden should have won that award as he had an overall better season. Both contenders had extraordinary seasons, but I think that Harden's season was better. The main aim of this paper is to discuss why James Harden is better than Giannis and why he should have won the M.V.P. award in the 2018-2019 season.

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Firstly, both candidates had great seasons with extraordinary achievements. Harden and Giannis had great stats, yet I believe Harden's stats were better. James Harden averaged 36.1ppg on 45% shooting. Harden averaged that number with fewer shots, free throws, and minutes per game than any all-time greats such as Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Michael Jordan. On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7ppg on 57% percent shooting, which was still impressive. Giannis had a higher shooting percentage as most of his shot attempts came from the paint while Harden shot more shots from beyond the ark. Giannis shot about 3 threes a game and made about 0.7 while Harden shot about 13 threes and was making about 5. While in the paint, Giannis took about 15 shots and making about 9 while James Harden took about 11 shots making about 6. Giannis is a much bigger player, so it is much easier for him to score in the paint. Another stat to compare is assists. Assists are a big part of basketball as they help teammates to score, and they have a massive effect on who wins a basketball game. In the season, James Harden averaged 7.5 assists per game while Giannis averaged 5.9 assists per game. Rebounds are also crucial in basketball, and they should be compared. In this stat comparison, Giannis averaged 12.5 rebounds per game while Harden averaged 6.6, which is still good for a guard. Giannis dominates Harden in rebounds as he is a bit bigger and taller player. Defensive wise Giannis was better but was expected to be better as he is bigger and has a longer reach. He is also very athletic. In defensive stats, Harden averaged 2 steals per game while Giannis averaged 1.3 steals per game. Despite this, Giannis averaged 1.5 blocks per game while Harden averaged 0.7 blocks per game, which is normal for a guard to average. Nevertheless, both players are extremely good athletes, and they both were great M.V.P. candidates.

In the 2018 season, The Houston Rockets started by winning just 11 of their first 25 games. It led them to be outside the playoffs, and they struggled to get back on track. Keep in mind that the Rockets were missing key players such as Chris Paul and Eric Gordan that had a huge role in boosting the offense and defense for almost 20 games. That was almost 1/4 of 82 games played in the whole season. Rockets were struggling, and they needed someone to step up to the plate so that they could start winning again. James Harden was ready to step up to the plate, and right after the 25th game, he went on to carry the rockets and led them to a strong finish by bringing them up back to 4th seed. They were a different team after Harden stepped up. During this extraordinary stretch, The Rockets won 21 of 32 games turning Houston's season around. In these games, Harden averaged 41.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 7.4 assists and grabbed 2.2 steals over a 32-game span, which was something no player had ever done as efficiently as him. Also, during this stretch, James Harden scored fifty points or more 9 times, which was more than the entire N.B.A. combined that season. If that's not impressive I don't know what is. Meanwhile, the Bucks in the first 25 games started with a 17-8 record, which was since they had their full roster and also because the Bucks had the 29th out of 30 easiest game schedule in the N.B.A. while the Rockets had the 8th hardest schedule while missing key players on the team. Giannis is a great player, but he did not have as big an effect on his team as Harden did. The M.V.P. trophy is awarded to a candidate who is the most valuable player to their team, and I don't know a more valuable player to a team besides James Harden.

In the 2018/19 season, Harden and Giannis both had great seasons that are unforgettable. Giannis was a beast in the paint and defense while Harden was a deadly scorer and great playmaker. James Harden finished top three in deflections per game, total steals, and blocks among players 6'7" or smaller. He also finished top in scoring and top 5 in assists per game. Giannis finished in the top three in points per game, and the Bucks ended up with the best record in the N.B.A. The 2018-19 season M.V.P. battle will go down as one of the best rivalries ever as both players were so good, but for me, James Harden was robbed, and he should have won the most valuable player trophy.

Conclusion

In most circumstances, statistics are never wrong, and they do not lie. Harden and Giannis have been seen to be players with great talent and potential, and that was the reason why they were both competing for the M.V.P. award. Both players have been seen to be great on certain areas and weak at some areas as well. For example Harden was strong in giving assists and having more steals per game. On the other hand, Giannis had a lot of rebounds and blocks per game and this clearly indicated the level of competition that was present. However, Harden had a lot of impact on his team's performance than Giannis. Harden contributed greatly to the success of his club by scoring or providing assists, and it is, therefore, reasonable to state that Harden was robbed his M.V.P. award, which was awarded to Giannis.