MVP Frontrunners?

[pipfan]

This year the MVP seems to be as wide open as ever. With a shortened season and lots of movement-it's hard to pick a frontrunner. Please vote for the to 2 candidates

[Young gun 6]

It’s pretty much Luka’s to lose given situation + media narrative.

[BlueSan]

?
Given the situation it is Lebron's to lose with the team he has and considering the narrative...

Luka only has a chance if he gets Dallas to top 4 seeds, which wont happen. So this year it is Lebron or KD if he comes back from Injury and lights it up

[NTB]

LeBron or Giannis again

[Alonzo_Morning]

LeBron or Giannis again

No way Giannis gets it again after 2 failed playoff series in a row. Unless the Bucks win 70 games.

Luka gets it, then Zion the year after

[cupcakesnake]

- Lebron will get the same heavy media consideration as always, but he'll also always suffer from not being the shiny new thing. Lakers improved bench should help them be a more impressive regular season team this year (more blowouts since they'll be less garbage when Lebron sits). If the Lakers can have something closer to a Milwaukee like regular season, that should give Lebron an edge, as long as he keeps the same work load and health. He is old. The drop will happen someday. BUT. NOT. TODAY.
- Luka is the shiny new thing. If the Mavs pick it up a bit on defense and become a higher seed, it will be hard for the media not to get overwhelmed by Luka-mania.
- Giannis is going to have a hard time. He will probably amass the most impressive statistical case again, and I don't see the Bucks slipping in terms of regular season wins. But there will be a fatigue now, and a serious level of skepticism due to the ugly playoff losses. Jrue is a pretty good lob passer, so hopefully Giannis is better activated as an off-ball threat. No matter what, I see it being difficult for Giannis to be the front-runner this year, even if he deserves it.
- Curry... I have a hard time seeing the Warriors being that good. I also have a hard time imagining Curry shouldering a MVP load over a full season. Happy if he proves me wrong.
- Jokic? He seems to be more of the Tim Duncan school of coasting just a bit in the regular season. He's happy to be passive a lot of the game and turn it on when it matters. MVPs unfortunately go to the biggest stat-pilers more often than not. He doesn't have the defense that Duncan did to make the strong MVP case. Maybe if Denver's offense just goes OFF in a Steve Nash Suns kinda way.
- Kawhi and Durant are not going to pile up stats. They'll just quietly be top 3 players trying to win championships.
- Rockets would need the a crazy surprise season for anyone to care about Harden averaging 30+ again.
- AD only wins if Lebron chills.

[leolozon]

?
Given the situation it is Lebron's to lose with the team he has and considering the narrative...

Luka only has a chance if he gets Dallas to top 4 seeds, which wont happen. So this year it is Lebron or KD if he comes back from Injury and lights it up

Honestly, Luka being the frontrunner doesn't make sense to me considering the odds of the Mavs being top 4 in the West are extremely low to begin with. Then even if the Mavs reach the 4th seed, the best player on the 1st seed will still have an edge (Lebron, Jokic, Kawhi, Giannis, Durant...).

The narrative that Luka is the frontrunner will probably work against him at the end of the year.

I don't see any frontrunner this year, just a lot of players bunched up together. If anything, the first few weeks will be really telling concerning Lebron and Durant. If Lebron plays a lot, he is the frontrunner. If Durant is back to form, he's the next one. If Harden decides that he'll just go for 40ppg, he'll be up there. If AD leads the Lakers without Lebron... If Giannis still improves... If Curry is back to form... If the Clippers take the 1st seed or the Nuggets... If the Mavs are a top seed... There are just too many "ifs" this year.

[chitownsalesmen]

Patrick Mahomes.

[NTB]

LeBron or Giannis again

No way Giannis gets it again after 2 failed playoff series in a row. Unless the Bucks win 70 games.

Luka gets it, then Zion the year after

How is it playoff related?

[BFRESH44]

Luka is going to have the narrative set up well for him if he comes out forcefully and Mavs become a top 3 seed. Jokic and Bam are dark horse candidates for me. Tatum as well.

[Sgt Major]

Jokic doesn't give a **** about the MVP award and his personal stats in general and with so many young Denver players and rookies that need development, I bet he's gonna cruise on autopilot through the regular season.

[Buzzard]

We know the narrative. Giannis, LeBron, then everyone else. I think LeBron flips it this season and wins another.

[Infinite Llamas]

LeBron or Giannis again

No way Giannis gets it again after 2 failed playoff series in a row. Unless the Bucks win 70 games.

Luka gets it, then Zion the year after

How is it playoff related?

It isn’t, but the voters end up looking like they have egg on their face when the guy they vote mvp fizzles out in the playoffs two straight years. It’s a bad look for the league honestly.

[Soulyss]

Luka & the Field.

Luka: If he can get the Mavs to a top-4 seed without the Unicorn most of the year, I think he will have a strong case and will likely win... He has a narrative advantage going into the season over Lebron and AD (will split some votes, stacked team) and Giannis (didn't make finals last year).

The Field: Lillard, The Joker, Simmons, KAT, Tatum, PG13, CP3, Booker... Too many good players capable of having an MVP year not to take the field, especially in a time of COVID

[Alonzo_Morning]

LeBron or Giannis again

No way Giannis gets it again after 2 failed playoff series in a row. Unless the Bucks win 70 games.

Luka gets it, then Zion the year after

How is it playoff related?

MVP is a narrative based award.

Right now, the narrative is that Giannis isn't good enough to lead a team to the title.

[76ciology]

Giannis again. He’s team will now can beat the pistons by 28 pts whereas they can only beat the pistons by 25 pts last season.

Seriously, bucks are gonna win a lot of games in the regular season as expected

[User_friendly]

?
Luka only has a chance if he gets Dallas to top 4 seeds, which wont happen. So this year it is Lebron or KD if he comes back from Injury and lights it up

Sorry but how does it count that way?. Is Luka less MVP being Dallas 5th with Porzingis all the year off, than being 4th with Porzingis healthy and on fire?
Why are you using for an individual prize, an argument based on team results that should only be valid if judges weren't able to actually watch players games and/or didn't know how to assess the individual impact of players on their teams?

[Freighttrain]

The media got enamoured with Luka's playoff debut in a way that you can see what will transpire once the regular season starts. I think it's his to lose. He just has to get around the same numbers this year as last year, perhaps on even better efficiency, and get the Mavs in the upper echelon of the playoff bracket. If he does that he's going to win. Lebron is expected to get the first seed again and put up those same numbers as last year, which I don't see happening. I think the Lakers will come out slow out of the gates and that will hurt LeBron's MVP chances. He has to climb the hill once again whilst Luka can only fall.

[The4thHorseman]

Who is Favored to Win the 2021 NBA MVP?

2021 NBA Most Valuable Player Award Odds.

These were updated this morning

Player Odds
Luka Doncic +300
Stephen Curry +550
Giannis Antetokounmpo +650
Anthony Davis +900
LeBron James +900
Kevin Durant +900
Jayson Tatum +1200
James Harden +1400
Damian Lillard +1800
Kawhi Leonard +2000
Joel Embiid +2500
Kyrie Irving +2800
Jimmy Butler +2800
Donovan Mitchell +3000
Nikola Jokic +3000
Jamal Murray +3500
Devin Booker +3500

https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/nba-mvp-betting-odds

[User_friendly]

Who is Favored to Win the 2021 NBA MVP?

Player Odds
Luka Doncic +300
Stephen Curry +550
Giannis Antetokounmpo +650
Anthony Davis +900
LeBron James +900
Kevin Durant +900
Jayson Tatum +1200
James Harden +1400
Damian Lillard +1800
Kawhi Leonard +2000

https://www.oddsshark.com/nba/nba-mvp-betting-odds

I like it, but this is crazy