The real measure of James Harden's MVP growth won't be taken until after the votes are tallied.
The hoops world hasn't seen The Beard dominate the regular season like this before, but, Maurice Podoloff Trophy or not, it has to witness that excellence extend to the playoffs.
For all the strides the 25-year-old has made in his pro career, that section of his resume remains disturbingly light.
It's not for lack of opportunity, as Harden is preparing to make his sixth postseason appearance in as many NBA seasons. But during his previous five trips, he's shot above 44 percent from the field only once—and better than 39.1 percent only twice.
Considering he's a 44.5 percent shooter for his career, it's glaringly apparent that the four-round trek to the title is a different type of beast from the 82-game marathon Harden has run with relative ease.
That will not—and should not—change how the Houston Rockets star is seen by MVP voters. But hoop heads are getting anxious to see Harden stir up the postseason pot.
"Fair or not, James Harden will either: 1) get the monkey off of ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NBA
Article written by Zach Buckley
True Test of James Harden’s MVP Status Looms in NBA Playoffs
April 7th, 2015 by Zach Buckley Leave a reply »
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