Why James Harden is the NBA MVP

The Beard has developed into a full-fledged monster, the perfect machination of Daryl Morey's analytics-fueled fever dream. 

James Harden is having a historic season, and his numbers stack up with anybody's. He's averaging 27.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game with a true shooting percentage of 60.4. Those numbers have only been replicated by three other players since 1980: LeBron James, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. 

But the most valuable player award isn't just about numbers and productivity. The ethos of the award is value, and no player has been more valuable to their team than Harden has been to the Houston Rockets.

The Rockets weren't intended to be a one-man show, but they were beset by injuries. Starting center Dwight Howard missed 41 games this season, and two other starters in Terrence Jones and Patrick Beverley missed 49 and 25 games apiece. Joey Dorsey, who played in Europe over the last three seasons, has logged the fifth-most games for the Rockets this season. 

With three starters intermittently out of the lineup, Harden had to make do with less. Unlike Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and LeBron James, he didn't have All-Star teammates to lean on. The Rockets' second- and third-leading scorers were Howard and Trevor Ariza, who averaged 15.8 and 12.9 points apiece. 

Therefore, Harden has had to bear a bigger burden than anyone else. He's played 80 games this season and leads the league in minutes played at 2,953. To put that number in perspective, Harden has played the equivalent of 11 more games than Curry (given Curry's per-game average of 32.8), 11 more actual games than James, 14 more than Russell Westbrook, and 13 more than Anthony Davis. Harden showed up to work, night in and night out.

Despite the magnitude of his workload, Harden has delivered. He ranks fourth in 3-pointers made, first in free throws made, and has scored more points than anyone else this season. Most importantly, Harden has come through in the clutch, shooting 49 percent from the field and 56 percent from deep in clutch scenarios this season.

Finally, consider the strides Harden has made on defense. He has made a concerted effort to defend his position, which was always his biggest problem. He has also become adept at reading plays before they develop and sits four back of Paul for the league lead in steals. Harden's improvements have coincided with the Rockets improving from 12th to sixth in defensive efficiency from last season.

The end result is that the Rockets, despite the injuries, have surpassed last season's win total and have a shot at finishing as the two-seed in the vaunted Western Conference.

So, once again, consider the value Harden has brought to the Rockets. Consider his improvements, his teammates, his role, his workload, his productivity, his team's injuries and his Rockets' improbable success. No other player has been more valuable to their team than James Harden.