James Harden, who was recently traded from the powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder to the rebuilding Houston Rockets, has been playing sensational in the first few games in the 2012 NBA season. Now a starter for the Rockets, Harden compiled an average of 35.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists in the first three games. But in the first two games Harden surprised the league, putting together 82 points, or 41 points per game. Harden still played solid although his third game appeared to be a step-down. To think Harden will average 40+ points in 40+ minutes is pretty unbelievable. But even with the doubts on Harden, he was the supreme player of the week, therefore earning the title: MVP of Week One.

Harden was a surprise that brought the Rockets team to victory in two of the three games. Although he didn’t average a double-double like Kevin Durant, or made history like Damian Lillard, Harden made a bigger impact and was the sole star of the team. Harden has to ‘put his team on his back’ if the Rockets want a chance at the playoffs, which shows how important he is to this team. Harden could be in MVP talks for a decent amount of the season, but his chances at winning the award are very slim. But as for right now, Harden is the MVP front-runner, and surpassed Durant’s and Lillard’s performances.