James Harden Injury: How Does the Absence of Nets Star Affect His MVP Hopes

Published 04/01/2021, 12:55 PM EDT

James Harden has been climbing the ranks of the MVP ladder in recent weeks. Injuries to favorites such as LeBron James and Joel Embiid put the spotlight on the Beard.

Harden, despite his great play, wasn’t given MVP considerations because of his early season start with the Houston Rockets. But now, could his latest injury derail his MVP chances?

James Harden suffers major injury

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James Harden sustained a hamstring injury in the 3rd quarter against the Houston Rockets. He didn’t return to the court. The extent of his injury hasn’t been made clear just yet.

But the Beard is set to miss at least a few games. We have seen how injuries have derailed the momentum MVP candidates had earlier in the season. So could this injury do the same for James Harden?

Since arriving in Brooklyn, Harden has been absolutely fantastic. He completely changed his style of play, shifting to the point guard position after playing as a shooting guard for his entire career.

Since he arrived, he has consistently been an attacking force. James has notched up several triple-doubles while making the Brooklyn Nets one of the best teams in the NBA.

James Harden’s play for the Nets has been crucial so far. Both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant have missed a significant number of games for Brooklyn.

But Harden has been the consistent superstar for the Nets. In the absence of KD and Kyrie, Harden was carrying the team, putting on some of the best performances of his career.

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Harden at risk of losing MVP

Since coming to Brooklyn, Harden is averaging 25 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. He leads the NBA in assists. But this injury could significantly hamper his MVP chances.

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If Harden is ruled out for a major period of time, it will allow other contenders like Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo to surpass him in the MVP race.

Can James Harden become MVP once again? He has already won the accolade in 2018. However, a significant injury could derail his chances, as has been the case for several other early contenders.

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But if Harden can make a quick recovery, Harden can pick up right where he left off and close out the season. as the stand-out favorite.

Former NBA Champion Feels LeBron James and James Harden Should Be Treated Equally in MVP Bid

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Written by:

Aaditya Krishnamurthy is an NBA & NFL journalist for EssentiallySports, before which he worked at BusinessWorld magazine. He has been a fan of Basketball for over 10 years now, since Shaquille O’Neal was a Phoenix Suns player. During his time at Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, he started a sports magazine for the college called the Overtime Tribune and hosted the Overtime Tribune Podcast until he graduated.

James Harden Injury: How Does the Absence of Nets Star Affect His MVP Hopes

James Harden suffers major injury

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Harden at risk of losing MVP