Houston Rockets guard James Harden believes he's made a case for being this season's Most Valuable Player, but with 10 games left in the schedule, he's doing the most to not let that ambition cloud his judgment.

When asked if he was deserving of the award, Harden was succinct in his response.

“I think so, but I try not to think about it too much,” Harden told Mark Berman of FOX 26 after a 38-point, 17-assist outing in a Friday night win over the New Orleans Pelicans. “I try to do my job at a high level and win.”

Harden has completely transformed his game this season, from a shot-happy swingman to an opportunistic shot creator, looking not only for his shot, but the best chance to put the ball in the bucket.

The Rockets “points guard” has now tallied double-digit assists in his last seven outings, including nine of the last 10, leading Houston to a 7-3 record through that span.

The Beard has made his most clear improvement this season under head coach Mike D'Antoni, going from an already career-high 7.5 assists per game last season, to a league-leading 11.3 during 2016-17.

Harden has seen career-highs in points (29.5), rebounds (8.0), assists, and free throws made and attempted per game (9.3-of-11) — also raising his turnovers to a whopping 5.8 per game due to his high usage rate.

Houston has already clinched a spot in the playoffs with a 50-22 record, which makes Harden's strongest case for MVP — the nine-win difference between the Rockets and Russell Westbrook‘s Thunder.