James Harden and the best runner-up MVP seasons since 2000, ranked

“Who’s coming in second?” Three-time MVP Larry Chook famously requested his NBA three-point contest opponents again in 1988 previous to the All-Star weekend shootout. Chook would go on to win the occasion, incomes his third-straight victory. Does anybody keep in mind who really got here in second? After all not. It’s a low-stakes competitors that the gamers themselves clearly don’t take critically (Chook received the competition in his warm-up jacket).

Dale Ellis is the reply, by the way in which. He would ultimately redeem himself  by successful the competition in 1989, although Chook didn’t take part. The issue with second-place finishes is that they’re typically forgotten, whatever the scope and significance of the competitors. Take the NBA’s Most Priceless Participant award, for instance. Debates are waged in regards to the MVP all through a given season and wards of sure candidates will grow to be outraged with the voting outcomes, however over time, the no. 2 man’s efficiency turns into simply one other column on Basketball Reference.

With that being stated, let’s give some recognition to a number of the greatest silver-medal MVP performances for the reason that flip of the century.

Not eligible: Kobe Bryant (2005-06)

Stats: 35.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 45% FG, 34.7% 3pt, 55.9% TS, 45-37 staff document, 22 first place votes

Bryant’s ’05-’06 season, due to die-hard Los Angeles Laker followers and one of many best single-game performances in NBA historical past, has not been misplaced to time like many others. It’s really the season that almost all followers level to when requested who was “robbed” of an MVP. Kobe Bryant was at his scoring peak, averaging a career-high 35.4 factors per sport, scored no less than 40 factors 27 instances in 80 video games performed, and naturally dropped 81 factors on the Toronto Raptors.

The issue is, Bryant didn’t end second in MVP voting that season. He really completed fourth, falling behind Steve Nash, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki, all of whom lifted their groups increased within the standings than Bryant did (although he did end second by way of whole first place votes.) Was that one of many least-talented Laker groups of the Bryant period? Sure. However there’s something to be stated in regards to the distinction between lifting a nasty staff to mediocrity versus lifting a good staff to greatness. This distinction is essentially what misplaced the next three gamers their MVP awards.

3. Chris Paul (2007-08)

Stats: 21.1 ppg, 4 rpg, 11.6 apg, 48.8% FG, 36.9% 3pt, 57.6% TS, 56-26 staff document, 28 first place votes

Chris Paul would finally end second to Bryant within the MVP race two years later, however he arguably ought to’ve taken the trophy himself that yr. The New Orleans Hornets fell only a sport behind the Lakers within the standings that season, and Paul posted what was, on the time, the 13th-highest PER in NBA history at 29.96.

Positive, he technically had an All-Star alongside him in David West (in the identical means LeBron James had an All-Star alongside him in Mo Williams throughout his first Cleveland stint), however the Hornets were 15.2 points per 100 possessions worse on offense with Paul on the bench that season. He was the alpha and the omega for that New Orleans squad, taking up the scoring burden along with organising his teammates. He led the league in assists, steals and made the All-Defensive Second Group.

To generate 21 factors and almost 12 assists’ price of offense within the mid-2000s was a real achievement given the dearth of floor-spacing. It stays one of many best level guard seasons in NBA historical past, and had it not coincided with a yr wherein Bryant, who voters knew had but to win the award by 12 seasons, barely outshined Paul by way of staff success, he would’ve received the award.

2. Kevin Garnett (2002-03) 

Stats: 23 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 6 apg, 1.4 spg, 1.6 bpg, 50.2% FG, 55.3% TS, 51-31 staff document, 43 first place votes

Kevin Garnett may’ve simply been unfortunate to be born 24 days after Tim Duncan. His profession largely paralleled that of the best energy ahead of all time, even previous their enjoying days (they have been enshrined into the Corridor of Fame collectively earlier this yr, together with Bryant). Due to this, top-of-the-line particular person seasons in latest reminiscence is essentially ignored.

Although he would win the MVP the next season, Garnett’s 2002-03 yr was arguably simply as spectacular. Stranded in Minnesota, surrounded by replacement-level expertise like Wally Szczerbiak and Troy Hudsen, Garnett carried his staff to 51 wins by stellar two-way play (he got here in third in Defensive-Participant-of-the-Yr voting that season as properly). Offensively, he was a low-post menace, a midrange grasp and a surprisingly fast and decisive playmaker in transition for his measurement. His staff requested him to do all the pieces, and he did.

For example simply how heavy the burden was on Garnett: The Wolves lost games by 17.5 points per 100 posessions in the mere 7.5 minutes per game that Garnett sat that season. He led the team in every major statistical category, together with assists. To primarily be the staff’s level guard, averaging six dimes a sport as an influence ahead throughout one of many muddiest eras of offense in NBA historical past, is actually an MVP-level accomplishment. The issue is, Duncan led his staff to 60 wins and put up almost equivalent numbers to Garnett, minus a number of the playmaking.

In a vacuum, the case might be made for Garnett as the higher participant than Duncan. If their conditions coming into the league have been swapped and Garnett was drafted into top-of-the-line sports activities establishments of the century within the Gregg Popovich-era Spurs, it’s not exhausting to image him successful the identical variety of titles as Duncan, if no more. Although that was not the hand Garnett was dealt, he completely maximized his scenario that season.

1. James Harden (2018-19)

Stats: 36.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 7.5 apg, 44.2% FG, 36.8% 3pt, 61.6% TS, 53-29 staff document, 23 first place votes

James Harden gave us one of the crucial thrilling two-month stretches in scoring historical past that yr, scoring 30 or extra factors in 32 straight video games (he averaged 41.1 points and got to the line nearly 13 times a game during that stretch). He reached an offensive apex not like something the fashionable NBA had ever seen, a lot in order that he was forcing groups into gimmick defenses like guarding him from the facet or behind in an effort to stop him from attending to his unguardable stepback jumper.

This stays the seventh-highest scoring season in league history, trailing 4 Wilt Chamberlain seasons, a Michael Jordan season and a fifth Chamberlain season. It was unprecedented. With Harden’s operating mate Chris Paul lacking 24 video games that season, he went into full put-the-team-on-my-back mode and proved to any of his remaining doubters that his type of ball-dominance might result in success.

Sadly for Harden, this season coincided with one other generational famous person really moving into his prime. Giannis Antetokounmpo received his first MVP that yr, averaging 27.7 factors, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists whereas being the anchor of his staff’s protection (one thing that might not be stated about Harden). The Milwaukee Bucks finally received 9 extra video games than the Rockets, reaching a league-best 60 wins.

Antetokounmpo was no-doubt deserving, on condition that he was simply as central to his staff’s success as Harden was. Even nonetheless, Harden’s season deserved recognition as one of many all-time-great scoring clinics in league historical past.