1. Kevin Durant, Phoenix Suns
Stats: 28 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 55% FG, 43% 3PT
Why KD deserves the award: As the Phoenix Suns have gotten off to an 8-2 start to the season, sitting tied for first place in the Western Conference, Kevin Durant has easily been the best player on the roster. The Suns have been one of the best teams in the league in clutch moments this season and with KD on the floor, the team was 7-0 so far this year in those situations. Even though the Suns have a talented big 3, I don't think there are any questions about who the alpha is for the team. KD is the most experienced and talented player on most nights.
Even though KD is probably closer to the end of his career than most are willing to admit, at the ripe age of 36 years old, he continues to be one of the most lethal offensive players in the league. What KD is still able to do at his size is something we have never seen before in the league. It's been 10 years since KD last won the NBA MVP award (2014) and it would be an amazing story for him to win it roughly a decade later. To be quite honest, I'm not sure if that's ever happened in NBA history.
Why KD may not deserve the award: On the flip side, if there's anything that could possibly hold Kevin Durant back from winning the NBA MVP award this season, there could be two culprits. First, KD may fall short of such a feat because of health. To be eligible to win the award, KD will have to play at least 65 games this season. Over the last four seasons of his career, he's only played 65 games once. It's certainly something to keep an eye on especially considering he's already dealing with an injury and expected to miss between 5-10 games.
Another reason why KD's magical NBA MVP run could come to an end is because of the play of the Suns. If Phoenix begins to tail off over the next couple of months, that could also spell the end of KD's MVP campaign. Generally in the NBA, a player who wins the MVP award has to be playing for one of the best teams in the league. If not, they'd have to be putting up historic numbers. And even then, there's no guarantee they'd get the full nod to win the award. At least for now, KD deserves the top spot.