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Although the NBA season is two months away, it is never too early to predict which players could have stellar campaigns. With the Olympics and Summer League now over, we as fans can only cling on to the few pieces of free agency news that trickle out every day. So making predictions way too early is an exciting way to pass the time and contemplate which players we want to see do well.
In this article, we will run down which players we believe could win the MVP, Rookie of the Year and Most Improved player awards this season in the NBA. While we have chosen our favorite, we have also listed some honorable mentions as there is a high chance we could be wrong.
Without any further ado, let's get into it with a player who has been everywhere on NBA social media this offseason.
NBA MVP - Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is long overdue another MVP trophy and goes into the 2021-22 season in electric form. Durant was unstoppable in the playoffs, averaging 34.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He put up over 40 points in three contests and shot at 51% from the field.
After the Brooklyn Nets' postseason was cut short when Durant's toe was marginally on the line to stop his made basket counting for three points and the win against the Milwaukee Bucks, he then led Team USA to gold in Tokyo. The 32-year-old ranked sixth overall in scoring at the Olympics with 20.7 points per game and also put up 5.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Should he and his Brooklyn Nets teammates stay healthy for the majority of the upcoming season, they are likely to top the Eastern Conference. Given that both Harden and Durant played less than 40 games for the franchise last season, finishing just one game behind the 76ers in first seed was mightily impressive.
Although all three of the Nets' superstars can take over in a game, Durant is the main man. Their offense ran through him all season and into the playoffs, with Irving and Harden the chief facilitators. With both of them among the best passers in the league, Durant can focus on scoring and will hope to average close to 30 points per game. Even in his 2013-14 MVP season, Durant didn't shoot as well as he did this campaign.
He will have stiff opposition for the award, though, primarily from Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic. He too had a stellar Olympics, where he averaged 23.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists for Slovenia. However, he is on a considerably weaker team in a stacked Western Conference. In order for him to win the award, he may have to take the Mavs into the top four in the West.
Elsewhere, there is, of course, reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic. The Denver Nuggets had a solid offseason and will be among the competitors in the West again this year. The 'Joker' showcased his all-round ability this season as both a traditional big man but also as a creator.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, coming off his NBA Finals MVP award, will have a say in proceedings while Steph Curry is expected to continue his scoring heroics from last year with Klay Thompson still sidelined.
NBA Rookie of the Year - Cade Cunningham
Fans were already able to catch a glimpse of a potential battle for the NBA Rookie of the Year award when Cade Cunningham faced Jalen Green in the Summer League. The top two overall picks went at each other all game, with the latter coming away victorious. Despite Cunningham's 20 points and three steals, Green tallied 25 points on 54% shooting from the field and 60% from deep.
Nevertheless, it was just a Summer League game after all and Cunningham is one of the most complete players to come out of an NBA Draft in league history. It is going to take him some time to settle in, but he will have the reins to run the offense in Detroit in a team of other young stars.
Furthermore, we saw the importance of not only being an elite scorer, which Green is, but of having multiple tools this season. LaMelo Ball was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in the 2020-21 campaign, despite Anthony Edwards averaging 3.6 points more than him per game and playing in 21 more matchups.
Other honorable mentions for the award include Davion Mitchell, who was co-MVP of the NBA Summer League, though he will find it hard to breach the Sacramento Kings' backcourt depth. Then there is the Orlando Magic's fifth overall pick, Jalen Suggs, who also shone in Vegas, putting up 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.
NBA Most Improved Player - Michael Porter Jr.
Choosing an early prediction for NBA awards is tricky enough, but deciding who will be the most improved player is extremely challenging. Lonzo Ball stands out as an obvious example after his move to the Chicago Bulls to play alongside Zach LaVine, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is currently the bookies' favorite. However, we have chosen to go with the Denver Nuggets' Michael Porter Jr.
The former lottery pick missed his first season in the NBA due to a back injury but has excelled since then and was unlucky not to win the Most Improved Player award this season. Porter Jr. went from averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in the 2019-20 campaign to 19 points and 7.3 boards last season.
He is a lethal perimeter player, connecting with 44.5% of threes last year and 54% of field-goal efforts. In both of his campaigns in the league, Porter Jr. has shot above 42% from deep and will look to cement himself as one of the highest-scoring players in the NBA this season.
Nuggets fans can expect his numbers to continue to increase, but he will be looking to improve his overall game if he wants to win this award. Especially given the fact that Denver will be without playmaker Jamal Murray for the majority of the season. This will give him the perfect chance to take on more shots, but will also mean that he needs to improve his creativity after averaging a measly 1.1 assists last season.
Although he is a lethal wing shooter himself, he will also be looking to improve his on-ball defense after finishing the campaign with a negative defensive box plus-minus for the second year in a row. Nevertheless, this could be a defining season for the 23-year-old and Nuggets fans will hope he is able to take his opportunity with both hands.
Guess the Lakers players!
