2. Injuries To Star Teammates

James Harden is using his play to show that he is at an NBA MVP level this season but he has also received some help from injuries. A few weeks ago, Harden was not near the top of the NBA MVP conversation but some new developments have put him at the top. This is something that will continue over the course of the season because the damage has been done.

Joel Embiid was the betting favorite to win the NBA MVP award at the beginning of March. He suffered a bone bruise on his left knee and has not played since March 12. Embiid is still sidelined and has not began basketball activities yet. LeBron James was second on the list.

On March 20, James suffered a high-ankle sprain that will keep him sidelined for about a month or so. It is unfortunate to see the best players in the league go down with injuries but this has been a factor when discussing Harden as NBA MVP this season.

The only threat at the moment seems to be Nikola Jokic. He has remained healthy and is averaging 26.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game. It will be an interesting race but Harden still has a bit of an edge over Jokic to this point.