Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Jamie’s pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo
I know this is the boring pick for MVP but, to be honest, it’s hard to make a case against the Greek Freak repeating as the MVP.
He can’t come back and just be exactly the same player he was last year, however. He needs to be better and with the chatter that’s been coming out about the work he’s put in on his jumper and how improved his outside shot is going to be, I think it’s also a pretty safe bet to expect to see the best version of Giannis yet in 2020.
And Antetoknoumpo with a jump shot will just be unfair and will all but ensure another MVP trophy. Just think about it… He still has a good enough team around him to make a run at a title but he is still the lone superstar on the team. The offensive system is built around him. The defense is anchored by him. And if he does show off an improved jumper, we could be in store for a 30 point season.
Other guys who will be in the running and what it will take for them to win MVP:
- LeBron James – “Revenge” LeBron goes harder than we all think in the regular season and puts together a GOAT-worthy campaign.
- Anthony Davis – LeBron decides to take a little bit more of a back seat and lets AD go off for a monster season.
- James Harden – He and Westbrook figure it out and lead the Rockets to a top-3 finish in the west while Harden still gets his 30 a night with around seven assists and the occasional one-legged three.
- Joel Embiid – A healthier Embiid plays over 70 games and manages to improve upon the 27 and 13 he posted a year ago.
- Stephen Curry – Turns back into his 2016 self and with the ultimate green light (and lack of star power around him aside from D’Angelo Russell) puts up ridiculous offensive numbers.
- Kawhi Leonard – Doesn’t miss as many games due to load management and leads the Clippers to the best record in the NBA.
Like with Derrick Rose in 2011 and Steph in 2015, the NBA MVP isn’t always one of the guys you’d expect at the start of the season, so with that in mind, let’s just take a look at a few of the dark horse candidates for this year’s MVP award and what it would take for them to shock everyone and bring it home:
- Nikola Jokic – Takes the step to full-blown superstar status. He puts up a near triple-double of 22 points, 11-12 rebounds, and eight assists and leads the Nuggets to the best record in the west.
- Kyrie Irving – Has his best season to date and elevates the Nets to the third-best team in the east.
- Damian Lillard – Has his version of Isaiah Thomas’ 16-17 season or Steph’s 15-16 season, meaning he just goes bananas and scores 30 points a game on career-high efficiency while leading the Blazers to a top-4 finish in the West.
What are your NBA awards predictions for the upcoming season? Let me know in the comments!