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ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes his former teammate and LA Lakers star LeBron James is in contention to win the MVP award. James has produced staggering performances over the last month and is averaging 28.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists per contest on 52% shooting for the season thus far.
Perkins recently posted about James and his MVP chances on his personal Twitter account, reacting to a post that asked whether or not the LA Lakers superstar is in the conversation for the MVP award this year. to which Perkins tweeted:
"He's definitely in the conversation!!! Carry on..."
LeBron James had a slow start to the season. After averaging just 23.8 points on 43.6% shooting across his first five games of the campaign, the 37-year-old has been a tear since then, recording 29.6 points per game on 54/38/77 shooting splits. James averaged 30.7 points in December, which elevated his chances of being included in MVP discussions.
Can LeBron James win his first NBA MVP award as an LA Lakers player this year?
Many felt LeBron James was past his prime when the 2021-22 NBA season started. His injury issues over the last few years have played a role in his steady drop-off in production over the last three seasons. The 'King' wasn't even considered the best player in the league anymore, according to several surveys.
Nevertheless, after missing a bunch of games due to an abdominal strain, James seems to be back to his best in terms of his fitness and performance level this season. He has even switched to playing the five in the absence of Anthony Davis of late and has dominated opponents with ease since making that transition.
Lebron James' current form has propelled him into the MVP conversation. During the LA Lakers' recent three-game win streak, James has amassed a total of 100 points, averaging 33.3 points per game along with 8.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists.
James will have to continue producing numbers of this caliber if he is to remain in contention for the MVP award. Aside from that, he will also need his performances to translate into the Lakers remaining a winning team.
Most of the prominent names in the MVP discussion, such as Kevin Durant and Steph Curry, have also enjoyed collective success with their respective teams and have remained near the tome of their respective conferences all season long.
One would imagine the Lakers would need to be in the reckoning for a top-four finish in the West to strengthen LeBron James' chances of winning the highest individual award in the NBA for the fifth time in his career. James and his 20-19 Lakers next take on the 17-20 Atlanta Hawks at home in a bid to extend their winning streak to four.
Guess the Lakers players!
