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The NBA free agency witnessed the King finding a new home, Paul George staying put, Kevin Durant re-signing with the Warriors and to the fury of many, DeMarcus Cousins also joining the Warriors. Now that the NBA free agency is almost settled and the mega-trade involving Kawhi finally over, here is a look at the top 5 early NBA MVP contenders:
Notable omissions
Anthony Davis: Definitely a top 5 NBA player (can even be argued to be in the top 3), but his team hasn't improved with the loss of Cousins and Rondo and the addition of Randle. The Pelicans will again be fighting for the last playoff spots in the loaded West.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: He will again be a beast, but there are other teams who have emerged out of the East as the clear frontrunners. The Bucks will be vying for the 4-8 playoff spots which makes it difficult for Giannis to get the MVP.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant: Two of the best players of this generation playing together and then add two, oh! wait, three other All-Stars to them. It's fair to assume that every All-Star on the Warriors' roster would be having help from the others and no one would be able to shine apart.
Other omissions:
Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Nikola Jokic.
Also read: Ranking the 10 Greatest MVP Seasons Ever
Let us now look at the top 5 early MVP contenders:
#5 Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is the best player from the best team in the East. The 2018 NBA Playoffs displayed the depth and the future of the Boston Celtics. They lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals to LeBron without their two All-Stars. This season with the return of Kyrie and Hayward, the Celtics look very loaded.
Though Kyrie is not a stats stuffer like some of the other candidates for the MVP, the Celtics have a great chance to finish on top in the East. An injury-free season for Kyrie would make him the most valuable player for the Celtics and will give him a great chance to bag his first ever MVP honors.
#4 Russell Westbrook
The triple-double machine had two consecutive seasons averaging a triple-double. But he did not get MVP attention despite averaging a triple-double last season because of the mediocre performance from the Thunder. The return of Paul George and their defensive stopper Andre Roberson to the core of Westbrook and Steven Adams make the Thunder an exciting proposition.
They could not gel along perfectly last season. There was Paul George's free agency hovering over their minds. There was Melo whom they could not bench in the regular season despite his inefficient performances.
Now, since both these things have cleared, the Thunder have become a stable unit and it looks very likely that they will improve over the previous season. If the Thunder finish in the top 3 in the West and Russell Westbrook again averages a triple-double season, expect him to take home the MVP honors.
#3 James Harden
The reigning MVP, James Harden and the Rockets had an outstanding regular season last year which paved the path for Harden to win his first MVP. He had finished twice at the number 2 position in the MVP race and is always a leading contender for the award.
The D'Antoni system allows his stats to be stuffed up and his team will again be in contention to be one of the top teams in the west. Don't be surprised if Harden repeats as the MVP.
#2 Kawhi Leonard
There is no Loyalty in this game was the response from DeMar DeRozan after getting traded to the Spurs. Raptors broke up their core and probably their future by trading their All-Star for someone who doesn't want to play in Toronto and could just be a one-year rental.
But things can turn out to be perfect for both parties involved. Toronto may just be the place for Kawhi to win his first MVP award to go along with his Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors. Leonard is the best two-way player in the league when healthy.
Last season the Toronto Raptors finished as the number one seed in the East. Add "No LeBron" this year and the Raptors will have the biggest star in the East playing for them. They may well just pip the loaded Celtics for the number one seed and in that case, Kawhi will be a huge favorite to bag the MVP award.
#1 LeBron James
Last season was the best statistical season in the career of LeBron 'King' James with averages of 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.1 assists on 54.2 FG%. This season he gets transferred to the most marquee franchise in the league. With seemingly no other star joining him in LA this year, his stats are going to be beefed up again.
The young core of Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart promise a good supporting cast and the Lakers are bound to improve significantly over the previous year. All things considered, LABron James is poised to win his fifth MVP award.
Who do you think will be the regular season MVP for the 2018-19 NBA season? Tell us in the comments below!
