James Harden's MVP behavior has Rockets off to fast start

HOUSTON – Rockets guard James Harden has finished second in MVP voting for the past two seasons, behind Stephen Curry and Russell Westbrook, respectively.

Many believed Harden was snubbed the previous two years, while others say he was overlooked due to historic seasons by Westbrook and Curry.

In Harden's 2016 campaign, he averaged the most assists in the league with 11.2 per game. He finished just behind Westbrook with 29.1 points per game.

Another tribute to his success is the fact that Harden led the Rockets to the third-best record in the NBA (55-27) and the Rockets beat Westbrook's Thunder in five games during the first round of the playoffs.

Harden would have won MVP had it been any other year when a player didn’t record 42 triple doubles.

Fifteen games into the 2017-2018 season, Harden is already making his case as an early MVP candidate.

Harden is leading Houston to wins without All-Star guard Chris Paul. He's also producing tremendous numbers.

Harden recorded a triple-double in which he scored 35 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to help the Rockets top the Cavaliers, 117-113, on Thursday night.

He out-dueled Lebron James and joined Michael Jordan as one of the only players to record a triple double with at least 35 points and five steals.

Although the Cavaliers have been struggling as of late with a record of 5-7, they still have James.

The Rockets have rolled onto one of the league's best records (11-4), despite the loss of Chris Paul. It's early in the season, but MVP voters heavily weigh victories into the choice of the league's most valuable player.

Harden's two recent performances have put him in the statistical company of the league's most elite players.

During his 56-point outing on Sunday against the Jazz, Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to record 50 points and 10 assists while making at least 75 percent of their shots.

Only time will tell if Harden will end up being the league's MVP over the grueling 82-game NBA season.