Despite a lot of fans believing there are four players fighting it out for NBA MVP favoritism, two players are just a step in front of the competition
What an exciting and unpredictable league-wide campaign we are all witnessing in the 2019-20 NBA season across all major categories.
In terms of championship contenders, there are at least 10 different teams who could realistically provide a case for why they have a legitimate chance to win the NBA Championship this season. The Eastern Conference is wide open with teams right down to the Indiana Pacers in the sixth seed keeping pace with the first-place Milwaukee Bucks, proving there are truly a number of teams who could fill out the top seeds in the conference.
But the best storylines so far probably come in the race for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Most fans and observers will agree that there are four realistic contenders for the award so far and each has its own incredible backstory.
LeBron James is winding back the clock in season 17 to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the top of the Western Conference, playing like he did when he first stepped into the league.
Luka Doncic is setting the league on fire in just his second season in the NBA, playing like someone in the same tier as a LeBron James despite his inexperience. He has also led the Dallas Mavericks from the second-worst team in the West last season to genuine contenders this season.
James Harden continues to break all sorts of records, posting 60 and 50-point games in consecutive outings whilst maintaining one of the highest points-per-game averages that we have ever seen in an NBA season.
And who could forget Giannis Antetokounmpo who continues to grow from merchandise seller on the streets of Greece to one of the most athletic and freakishly talented players to ever step on to the court in his quest for back-to-back MVP awards.
However, I believe there are only two true contenders for the MVP award currently. There are two of these four players that stand out above the rest and deserve to be the real frontrunners for the award as we reach the “unofficial” end of the first quarter of the NBA regular season.