The most valuable player award is the highest honor a player can achieve in the NBA. This places the decision of who wins the prestigious award under heavy scrutiny, this year especially, as this is perhaps the closest race the NBA has seen in years.  

The debate about who should win the MVP between Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden rages on. This article will give a clear answer about who is the better candidate, rating them based on the following factors: individual production, team success, and narrative.

Individual Production

It is hard to argue against James Harden in terms of his individual production. James Harden averaged 36 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals; he has put up a historic stat line that will, most likely, never be matched again.

On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 28 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, one steal and two blocks. The whole Milwaukee Bucks offense ran through Antetokounmpo; he is the most versatile offensive and defensive player in the league.

But Harden’s historic stats are too much for Antetokounmpo to overcome.

Team Success

In terms of which team is better overall, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the clear edge over James Harden. Antetokounmpo’s team, the Bucks, has the best record in the league, which is largely due to Antetokounmpo.

Harden, on the other hand, has been the only reason that the Rockets have been a title contender all season, but his team has seven fewer wins than the Bucks.

Narrative

Narrative is by far the hardest category to determine because it is so abstract. James Harden was the MVP last year and his team had the best record, but he fell short of the championship. This year, the team was struggling until Harden went on a historic run and closed the season with no one doubting his ability.

Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo had been a budding superstar for the past two years;  he finally broke out on the scene this year and led his team to the best record in the NBA.

This has been one of the toughest MVP races to judge ever. Both candidates have won in one category and tied in the other. This race essentially comes down to what is more important: individual production or team success.

Despite James Harden being more deserving of the award, Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely going to win the 2019 NBA MVP award.