Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo were equally deserving of the 2019 MVP award, but Lou Williams believes that The Bear is more deserving than The Greek Freak.
A fan asked Williams on Twitter whether Harden deserved to win back-to-back MVP honors, and the Los Angeles Clippers sixth man was quick and direct with his answer:
Hell yea https://t.co/7nL7MsELwT
— Lou Williams (@TeamLou23) August 31, 2019
It's understandable to see where Williams was coming from with his answer. He spent the second half of the 2016-17 season with the Rockets and benefited from Harden's court vision and gravity on defenders.
It's possible that Williams chose Harden because he knows him better than Giannis. Moreover, the basis for his claims didn't come out of thin air.
Harden did have one of the best scoring performances in NBA history. He led the league last year in points per game at 36.1 on 44.9 percent shooting. He also had 6.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists to go with those numbers.
Perhaps, the biggest knock on Harden's 2018-19 statistical record is his five turnovers a night. Moreover, despite his high-scoring efforts, the Rockets only finished fourth in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo had equally incredible numbers. He averaged 27.7 points on 57.8 percent shooting, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks. He also led the Bucks to the best record in the NBA.
It is disrespectful to dismiss one without recognizing the other regardless of your MVP choice. Williams may prefer Harden's playing style over Antetokounmpo, but he cannot deny how important Giannis was on the Bucks' 2019 playoffs bid.
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