Stats: 27.2 points, 7.0 assists, 6.1 rebounds
Making the case: My early season NBA MVP, James Harden, has carried the Houston Rockets to a 21-8 record for a big part of the season without Dwight Howard. He’s averaging a career-best in almost every category with 27.2 points, 7.0 assists, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game.
He’s been unstoppable averaging 9.9 free throw attempts per game, shooting nearly 89 percent from the charity stripe. He’s showing no signs of slowing down, solidifying his case as the best shooting guard in the NBA and possibly an MVP winner by the end of the season.