Kia MVP Ladder: Relentless James Harden keeps on rising

This season, James Harden is the NBA leader in assists per game with an average of 11.1.

Introspection kicked in for James Harden in the aftermath of dropping a 38-point triple-double Monday to lead the Brooklyn Nets past the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But instead of basking in the glory of Brooklyn’s fourth win in five outings, Harden kept talking about improvement.

“You can’t afford complacency, neither can I,” he stated. “I’ve never been one to rest on my laurels and that isn’t about to change. I believe there’s always room for improvement. When you’re striving for a goal, the first step should be self-reflection. Assess how you can enhance your performance and contribute more effectively for the team’s overall improvement.”

He has certainly accomplished that, while also paving the way for his entry into the top five of this week’s Kia Race to the MVP Ladder.

The Nets have a record of 26-7 in games that Harden has played since his debut with the team on Jan. 16.

Harden, who tops the league with an average of 11.1 assists per game, expressed, “I might not have control over everything happening around me, but I certainly have control over myself. I need to improve my decision-making skills, help my teammates position better, and ensure we get a shot up. If we manage to get a shot up, that’s satisfactory. It enables us to prepare our defense. I assure you, I will improve.”

The Kia Race to the MVP Ladder remains wide open, in part due to injuries to stars LeBron James and Joel Embiid. But players such as Harden and Nikola Jokic continue to shine with competition heating up for the stretch run of the season. So, it’s no surprise Jokic and Harden earned Kia NBA Player of the Month in their respective conferences for the month of March.

Jokic remains at the top of this week’s Kia Race to the MVP Ladder, with Luka Doncic, the star guard of the Dallas Mavericks, making his way into the top five for the first time after averaging 29.4 points per game throughout March and achieving a 43.3% success rate from the 3-point range in almost 35 minutes per game. Damian Lillard, the brave guard of the Portland Trail Blazers, advances to the No. 2 spot, while Embiid and James no longer feature in the top five.

And now, the Top 5 this week in the 2020-21 Kia Race to the MVP Ladder:

1. Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Last week’s ranking: No. 1

Season stats: 26.8 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 8.5 apg, 1.6 spg

A triple-double machine, Jokic is one of the main reasons Denver is 9-3 since the All-Star break. The big man might even be on the way to finishing the season in the elusive 50-40-90 club. Denver completed its first season sweep of Philadelphia since 2015-16 on Tuesday by dominating the 76ers inside with Jokic. The Nuggets won the rebounding battle against the Embiid-less 76ers 51-34 and outscored them in the paint 44-32. Then on Thursday, Jokic found ways to connect with new addition Aaron Gordon for buckets en route to a 101-94 win against the Clippers.

2. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Last week’s ranking: No. 3

Season stats: 29.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 7.8 apg

The NBA’s second-leading scorer, Lillard continues to fight through various nagging injuries to lead a surging Portland squad that sits at sixth in the Western Conference. The Blazers enter tonight’s showdown against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (10 ET, NBA TV) riding a four-game win streak with Lillard averaging 25.7 ppg in the three outings he played during the streak. Lillard scorched the Detroit Pistons from deep on Wednesday, hitting 5 of 7 to finish with 33 points. What is scarier is Lillard believes the Trail Blazers, which have battled through a slew of injuries this season, are finally whole again and “trending upwards.”

3. James Harden, Brooklyn Nets

Last week’s ranking: No. 6

Season stats: 25.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 11.1 apg

Harden missed just his third game since joining the Nets on Thursday — due to tightness in his right hamstring — after initially suffering the injury the night before in Brooklyn’s comeback win against the Houston Rockets. Nets coach Steve Nash expressed optimism that Harden’s injury won’t keep him out for a significant amount of time. Brooklyn was 7-6 before acquiring Harden, but have since gone 26-7 in games he’s played while finishing 1-2 in games he’s missed. Harden’s stellar play has been key in Brooklyn climbing atop the Eastern Conference standings for the first time since April of 2003.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Last week’s ranking: No. 2

Season stats: 28.3 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.3 bpg

Antetokounmpo finished with a career-worst-tying minus-31 in 34 minutes Monday in a loss to the Clippers. He then followed that up Wednesday with nine turnovers against the Lakers (which also tied a career-high). Still, Antetokounmpo posted a double-double (25 points, 10 rebounds) to help Milwaukee snap a three-game skid. Even better, he finished March shooting 3-pointers with 10% better accuracy (39.4%) than the previous two months. Milwaukee goes into tonight’s matchup against Lillard in Portland with a record of 12-10 on the road (3-5 road record against West teams).

5. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Last week’s ranking: No. 7

Season stats: 28.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 8.9 apg

Doncic missed a back-to-back set on March 26 and 27 and, coincidentally, Dallas lost both games after winning two in a row. He returned on March 29 and led the Mavericks to consecutive wins as they quietly creep up the West standings. Despite starting the season struggling with accuracy from deep (9.5% on 3-pointers in December), Doncic was hot in March, averaging 43.3% from long range, 52.7% overall and 29.4 ppg. “It’s repetition, but it’s also a lot of confidence,” Doncic said Wednesday after racking up 36 points in Dallas’ win against the Boston Celtics. You can see that confidence just oozing right here.

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The Next Five:

6. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

7. Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

8. Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers

9. Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets

10. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

And five more: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors; Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz; Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans; Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns; Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz.

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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

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