Parsons Says James Harden Is “Best Player In Basketball Right Now”

Chandler Parsons and James Harden have come a long way since the war of words over the summer after Parsons spurned the Rockets to sign a three-year, $46 million deal with the Mavs. Their mutual gripe followed Harden’s disparaging comments about Chandler as a replaceable “role player,” but it ended in Vegas at the casino, and now Parsons says Harden is “the best player in basketball right now.”

The Rockets beat the Mavs, 99-94 last night, but Harden — who is leading the league in points per game (27.3) — was more playmaker then scoring dynamo with 17 points (7/14), eight dimes, five rebounds and four steals.

Some have Harden in the conversation for MVP so far this season, and Parsons would give him his vote, as he told Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas (by way of Eye on Basketball):

“For sure. He’s the best player in basketball right now,” Parsons said before his Dallas Mavericks fell 99-94 to Harden’s Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. “The things he’s doing are incredible. The scouting report is focused in on stopping him and you see he’s still getting 30 a game. It’s impressive.”

[…]

“It doesn’t really surprise me,” Parsons said of Harden’s season so far. “I saw firsthand how talented he is. He works extremely hard. He’s playing better defense this year. He’s leading their team. He’s hitting tough shots. There’s not much he’s not doing.

Parsons view is shared by his coach, Rick Adelman who said, “Right now, there’s nobody playing better basketball on the planet.”

Personally we think Harden is 1A in MVP voting if the season ended today with Stephen Curry as our No. 1, but just by a hair. The fact the Rockets have survived prolonged Dwight Howard absences and Harden still has them tied with the Clippers and Blazers for the No. 3 seed in the West makes the idea more palatable for those fans who still cringe at his defensive blunders.

Harden is moving closer to his brash summer-time declaration he was the best all-around player in basketball; Parsons and Carlisle believe he’s already there.

(ESPN DALLAS; H/T EOB)

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