NBA: A way-too-early deep dive into the 2021-22 MVP award race
By Kyle McKee
NBA MVP odds: Kevin Durant +650
Kevin Durant has the second-best odds on WynnBet. The reason being, simply, he’s the best player on what many believe to be the best team in the league.
We’ve seen so many times throughout the NBA when the MVP is given to the best player on the best team. Derrick Rose back in 2011, Steph Curry in 2015, Giannis Antetoukoumpo in 2019 are some recent examples. Going back even further there was Dirk Nowitzki in 2007, Tim Duncan in 2003, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar in 1980, Bill Russell in 1958, Bill Walton in 1978. The list goes on and on of guys who’ve won the MVP award on the team with the best record in the league.
As long as the Brooklyn Nets are healthy, they are the best team in the league. It’s as simple as that. If Kyrie Irving and James Harden didn’t get hurt last season, most fans and experts agree that the Nets would have won the title. Even without those two guys, they still almost did. KD almost single-handedly led the Nets past the eventual champion Bucks. If he were wearing his normal shoe size, instead of going a size up to 17, then maybe we’re talking about the Nets looking to repeat. But we know that didn’t happen.
After a disappointing playoff exit, the Nets, as I mentioned with Luka, have to be extremely motivated to win a title. Plus, I believe the Lakers’ acquisition of Russell Westbrook will actually be a good thing for the Nets. Hear me out. I think the Nets see LeBron and the Lakers creating their own “superteam” as a challenge to prove that they are the best superteam.
Along with the added motivation of proving their the better super team and bouncing back from last year’s disappointing end, Kevin Durant also has a strong narrative, which MVP voters love so much, going for him entering this season.
KD was beloved early on in his career in Seattle and Oklahoma City. Things changed once he signed with the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016. Since then, Durant has been one of, if not the most hated player in the league and maybe in all of sports. People just can’t get over the fact that he joined the team that beat him in the playoffs, which just so happened to be the same team to set the regular-season record for wins (73).
This hate has remained constant for KD since 2016, not just because of his free-agency decision, but also because of his presence on social media. Things didn’t get much better when he joined the Nets with Kyrie Irving and then traded for James Harden, creating another superteam. However, during the playoffs, it felt like the hate for Kevin Durant started to die down, and even shift back to love.
When Kyrie and Harden went down, it was all up to KD in the playoffs. I think some fans switched from hating him to loving him, or at least liking him again, because, instead of playing for a team full of all-stars, Durant’s second-best teammate was Joe Harris or an out of his prime Blake Griffin. Durant had to do the LeBron of carrying a team that normally won’t even be in the playoffs, and he damn near did.
With an injured Kyrie Irving and a hobbled James Harden, Kevin Durant put on a show during the playoffs. He reminded the world why he’s so special, and proved, at least to me, that he’s the best player in the league.
Even with Irving and Harden returning, I could see the shift towards getting back to loving Kevin Durant happen this year, especially after leading Team USA to gold in the Summer Olympics.
I expect to see KD lead the Nets, with a revamped roster with the addition of Patty Mills, and the drafting of Cam Thomas, leading the Nets to the best record in the league. I believe the Nets will look to rest Kyrie and Harden more than Durant, leaving Durant to carry the load more often than not.
In my opinion, Kevin Durant is the best player in the game. If you’re betting on KD to win the MVP, you’re betting on the best player on the best team, for a team that’s hungry after a disappointing playoff performance. That’s not a bad bet to make, especially at +650.