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As the new NBA season starts in less than 3 weeks, we are all eagerly glued to our seats for the tip-off. Like every other season, the crystal ball is out of cobwebs and we are giving our predictions for the 2023-24 season. This time, it comes as dark horses for the MVP race.
Last year, the MVP race was down to the wire and just like the last 4 seasons, the top 3 were virtually locked in from the first game. This time, however, we expect some changes. While, the three-headed monster of Giannis, Jokic, and Embiid are likely to still be in contention for the MVP, we expect some fresh faces.
So, which players are set to elevate their level and could lift the Michael Jordan trophy?
5 candidates who are dark horses to win the Michael Jordan MVP award for 2023-24
1) Anthony Edwards:
It may come as no surprise to some but Anthony Edwards is perhaps one of the most underrated players in the NBA. It is refreshing to see a prototypical guard flourish in a landscape bustling with players whose sizes make them unique in their positions. Edwards, at just 6’4", is one of the last remaining pure shooting guards.
He put up incredible numbers of 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. All of this on 45/36/75 splits. While those efficiency numbers are not mindboggling, it is great for someone who is just 22. It can be easy to forget just how young Ant is.
Factors like leading Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, new signature sneakers, and added maturity in year 4 are going to be huge catalysts. Expect Edwards to climb into the top 5 of the KIA MVP ladder. Perhaps even top it at the end of the season.
2) Anthony Davis
Inarguably, one of the most, if not the most talented big men in the league, Anthony Davis for all his gifts has never won the MVP award. In fact, a 3rd place finish in 2017-18 is the closest he has ever come. But that was a while ago and a player who was supposed to blossom into one of the most dominant big men has only shown flashes of his true potential.
Davis’ talent is immeasurable. Last playoffs, like a tornado, his arrival was sudden and fierce. This season, the expectations are high. He is entering his 12th year and it feels like there is no better time than now to take LeBron James’ mantle in Los Angeles. We firmly believe that Davis will vie for the top rung in the MVP ladder this season.
3) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The Canadian is coming off a stellar season with OKC and he just led Canada to their first-ever medal in the FIBA World Cup. A star born out of the embers of a team in purgatory, few people expected Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to shine as he did last year. 31.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game are MVP numbers in almost any other year, but last year was an anomaly.
While his efficiency numbers are questionable, it is good to remember that it was merely his 5th season and on a team that was expected to tank. With perhaps the best young core in the league, expect SGA to make a splash. Perhaps even cause a tsunami and wreck the bookmakers’ odds in the MVP race.
4) Devin Booker
The Suns guard is no prodigy and in a league that prizes efficiency over anything, a player of Devin Booker’s caliber should be a favorite to win the MVP. However, he falls outside the top 5 and that is puzzling. Teaming up with a player like Kevin Durant might look like he wouldn’t be the first option. But you would be surprised.
Just the last playoffs, through round 1, D-Book was on a tear. He averaged 37.2 points shooting 60% from the field and 46% from beyond the arc. He led the Suns to round 2 and just showed a glimpse of how a star like KD can help him eclipse his roadblocks. Expect Booker to hover around the top of the MVP ladder this season.
5) Trae Young
With Nate MacMillan leaving the Hawks, it is clear as day that Trae Young is happy. He likes the systems that Quinn Snyder runs and it was visible through his improved defense. He averged 26 points and 10 assists last season. There was a noticeable dip in his efficiency, however, that is a bar he can raise with enough time in the system.
The Hawks star is also heading into the second year of his tandem with Dejounte Murray and while the first year was a mild disappointment, we can expect some improvements this year. Trae will be vital to the Hawks's offense and we expect him to put up some scintillating numbers this year. We expect him to climb the MVP ladder and perhaps even reach the top rung at the end of the season.
