HOOPSAHOLIC

We're only about four games into the 2014-15 NBA season, and I'm over here on my computer making extremely bold statements wayyyyyy too early into the year.. But do I care? Not really, so here we go with why I think James Harden is the early season MVP favorite. 

Let me start off by saying this, the Rockets may have played the easiest four games of any team in the NBA, but that doesn't change the fact that H-Town's team is currently 4-0 and they've been led by a bearded man on a mission. They've beaten the Lakers, Jazz, Celtics and Sixers with Harden averaging 27.8 points per contest. I know the teams they've beaten aren't considered part of the league's elite, but they won all four match-ups by at least eleven points, which shows the Rockets aren't letting the bad teams hang around, and they're beating the teams they should.

The way Harden is dominating these games should be noted because he's doing it in all facets of the game. Not only is he averaging a lot of points, but through four games he's averaged 6.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists. People have given The Beard a lot of criticism in the past due to his lack of defensive effort, in the Rockets game against the Celtics Harden recorded a whopping four steals. Also, Harden's recorded a block in every game so far except for one. He's shown that he's worked on becoming a well-rounded player in the off-season and it's really paying off. 

Like I said earlier, MVP awards aren't handed out in November, so there's a lot that Harden will have to do in order to keep up this MVP style pace. He will have players such as Anthony Davis and LeBron James breathing down his neck as the season goes along, but through four games I don't think there's anyone you could place in front of Harden as the leader in the clubhouse. Isn't it crazy to think that only three years ago Harden won the Sixth Man of the Year award, and now he's in the discussion for League MVP? The Thunder sure could use his playmaking ability right about now.. 

Look out for the Memphis Grizzlies.. They're also 4-0 and both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph look as good as ever. Don't look now, but they could be one of the top seeds in the West when it's all said and done.