7. Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
Through the first 15-ish games of the regular season, the argument could be made that Anthony Davis was one of the favorites to win the NBA MVP award. However, over the past few weeks, the level of play of the Los Angeles Lakers has dropped drastically. Because of that, it's only natural for AD to fall down the list of potential candidates to win the NBA MVP award. He's still hanging on because of how dominant he's been on most nights for the Lakers in the frontcourt. The team may be struggling but AD is still posting big numbers.
AD is averaging 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists, and nearly two blocks per game on 53 percent shooting from the field and 35 percent shooting from 3-point range. AD was instrumental in the Lakers' hot start to the season and remains one of the bigger reasons why the team has remained somewhat afloat despite their funk. There is a path toward AD winning the NBA MVP award but there are also plenty of hurdles. The rest of the season almost has to go perfectly for both AD and the Lakers.
Why AD's MVP bid may fall short
For Anthony Davis, it's pretty simple. For as much promise as the Los Angeles Lakers have shown this season, it's pretty easy to envision how he's going to fall out of the NBA MVP race, and it's if the Lakers continue to struggle as a team overall. There have been a rare few times when players of non-contenders have won the NBA MVP award but in those occasions, the winners were posting historical numbers. While AD is off to a great start to this season, I'm not sure he's posting historic numbers. He's not even having the best season of his career.
Another factor that could end up hurting AD's candidacy for the NBA MVP award is health. Over the course of his career, AD has had his fair share of battles with injuries. While he's been relatively healthy so far this season, it's something to watch for. If AD doesn't play at least 65 games this season, he's automatically eliminated from contention to win the award. I'm not wishing injury on anyone but we must also remember that AD has only played 65 games in the regular season once in the past six years.