The
past
two
have
not
been.
In
2019-20,
the
season
was
paused
for
the
coronavirus
pandemic
and
resumed
in
Orlando,
in
a
bubble
and
without
crowds.
Giannis
Antetokounmpo
was
at
least
able
to
put
forward
his
claims
for
a
second
straight
MVP
honour
prior
to
that
point.
In
2020-21,
a
rapid
turnaround
from
the
playoffs
appeared
to
catch
some
leading
men
out,
before
the
brutal
72-game
December-to-May
calendar
saw
a
number
of
top
performers
face
spells
on
the
sidelines.
As
a
result,
Nikola
Jokic
was
the
clear
MVP
candidate,
outstanding
for
the
Denver
Nuggets
but
crucially
also
one
of
just
11
players
across
the
league
to
play
in
all
72
games.
His
2,488
minutes
trailed
only
New
York
Knicks
pair
Julius
Randle
(2,667)
and
RJ
Barrett
(2,511).
With
a
proper
preseason
to
plan
–
and
the
Nuggets
hurt
by
Jamal
Murray’s
injury
–
it
seems
unlikely
Jokic
will
defend
his
title.
But
which
players
are
most
likely
to
follow
his
lead
and
move
clear
of
the
rest
in
the
coming
months?
Stats
Perform
breaks
down
the
chances
of
the
MVP
favourites.
Giannis
Antetokounmpo
Having
claimed
back-to-back
MVP
Awards,
Antetokounmpo
entered
preseason
last
year
as
the
favourite
again
and
threatened
for
a
time
to
contend,
averaging
28.1
points,
11.0
rebounds,
1.2
blocks
and
1.2
steals
per
game.
A
six-game
lay-off
in
April,
immediately
after
scoring
47
points
in
Portland,
put
paid
to
those
hopes.
However,
it
would
have
been
tough
for
voters
to
justify
again
picking
Antetokounmpo
regardless.
At
that
stage,
he
had
won
only
three
playoff
series
in
his
entire
career.
By
contrast,
Bill
Russell,
Wilt
Chamberlain
and
Larry
Bird
–
the
three
men
previously
honoured
three
years
in
a
row
–
each
celebrated
at
least
one
championship
across
the
first
two
seasons
of
their
respective
runs.
It
is
very
different
now,
though.
Although
Antetokounmpo
would
become
only
the
ninth
player
to
take
the
Maurice
Podoloff
Trophy
on
three
occasions,
there
is
less
daunting
historical
precedent
with
the
lean
year
in
between.
Crucially,
too,
the
‘Greek
Freak’ is
now
himself
a
champion.
Antetokounmpo
was
the
Milwaukee
Bucks’
Finals
MVP
as
they
won
their
first
title
in
50
years.
Rather
than
regress
in
the
playoffs
–
his
points
average
had
dipped
from
the
regular
season
in
four
of
his
five
prior
postseason
campaigns
–
the
26-year-old
forward
scaled
new
heights,
taking
more
responsibility
with
a
career-high
20.9
field
goal
attempts
per
game
and
being
rewarded
with
30.2
points.
Now
embracing
his
strengths,
taking
only
3.3
shots
from
three-point
range
in
the
postseason
and
shooting
73.6
per
cent
at
the
rim,
Antetokounmpo
should
have
the
confidence
to
kick
on
again.
Luka
Doncic
It
is
Doncic,
not
Antetokounmpo,
who
has
been
installed
as
the
early
favourite
this
year.
The
Slovenian
is
only
entering
his
fourth
season,
but
it
feels
about
time
he
truly
established
himself
as
a
future
great.
Doncic
was
one
of
those
who
acknowledged
he
was
“not
in
my
best
shape”
as
the
2020-21
season
promptly
got
under
way,
and
the
Dallas
Mavericks
were
an
underwhelming
8-12
at
the
end
of
January,
although
the
point
forward
still
averaged
27.4
points
over
that
slow
early
period.
He
then
weighed
in
with
30.3
points
across
12
games
in
February.
Only
four
players
bettered
Doncic’s
1,830
points
come
the
end
of
the
year,
yet
he
could
still
be
a
little
more
consistent
in
pursuit
of
a
regular-season
award.
The
22-year-old
has
set
an
astonishing
standard
on
the
biggest
stage.
While
waiting
on
a
first
series
win,
his
33.5
playoff
points
are
the
most
by
any
player
to
feature
in
at
least
13
career
games.
Doncic’s
143
points
at
the
Tokyo
Olympics
led
the
tournament.
If
Dallas
can
be
competitive
from
the
outset,
Doncic’s
game
is
certainly
a
good
fit
for
individual
recognition,
his
2020-21
usage
rate
of
36.0
per
cent
the
highest
among
players
with
500
or
more
possessions.
Similarly
dominant
for
Slovenia,
his
57
assists
and
196
minutes
also
topped
the
charts
at
the
Olympics.
New
coach
Jason
Kidd
will
ask
“young
Picasso” Doncic
to
share
the
ball
around
a
little
more
this
year,
though,
saying:
“As
a
coach,
I
don’t
know
if
anybody
told
Picasso
that
he
had
to
use
all
the
paints.
But
I
just
want
to
remind
Luka
that
he
can
rely
on
his
team-mates,
and
his
team-mates
are
going
to
be
there
to
help
him.”
He
added:
“We
know
that
it’s
easy
to
get
the
ball
to
Luka,
but
the
one
thing
we
do
want
to
get
accomplished
is
other
guys
as
playmakers
so
come
the
fourth
quarter
Luka
is
fresh
and
is
ready
to
deliver.”
Some
more
big
moments
–
Luka’s
93
clutch
points
ranked
21st
last
year
–
would
certainly
help
Doncic’s
cause.
Stephen
Curry
The
Los
Angeles
Lakers’
new
‘big
three’
–
we
will
come
to
the
Brooklyn
Nets
shortly
–
is
likely
to
help
title
hopes
but
hinder
MVP
bids.
Russell
Westbrook’s
relentless
regular-season
efforts,
averaging
34.4
per
cent
usage
over
the
past
seven
seasons,
might
take
some
of
the
shine
away
from
LeBron
James.
Curry
does
not
have
that
problem.
As
last
year,
when
he
had
the
next-most
first-place
votes
after
Jokic
(albeit
just
five
to
91),
the
Golden
State
Warriors
are
set
to
be
hugely
reliant
on
Curry
–
at
least
until
fellow
Splash
Brother
Klay
Thompson
is
back
from
injury.
In
his
first
full
season
since
Kevin
Durant
left
and
Thompson
went
down,
Curry
set
his
stall
out
early
with
62
points
against
the
Portland
Trail
Blazers
but
saved
his
best
for
the
end
of
the
year,
averaging
36.9
points
after
a
tailbone
injury
in
March
to
take
a
second
scoring
title.
The
two-time
MVP
could
not
quite
do
enough
to
carry
the
Warriors
through
the
play-in
round.
A
young
supporting
cast
is
now
another
year
older,
however,
meaning
Golden
State
should
be
competitive
enough
to
keep
Curry
in
the
limelight
without
having
enough
talent
to
distract
from
his
displays.
Only
Thompson’s
return
is
likely
to
alter
the
pattern
of
play
after
Curry
set
career
highs
in
points
(32.0),
rebounds
(5.5),
field
goal
attempts
(21.7),
three-point
attempts
(12.7),
foul
line
visits
(6.3)
and
usage
rate
(34.7).
He
scored
a
league-high
24.6
per
cent
of
the
Warriors’
points.
Kevin
Durant
Durant,
like
James,
was
set
to
merely
be
the
biggest
star
on
a
team
of
stars
until
the
complications
around
Kyrie
Irving’s
status
arose.
As
it
stands,
Irving
will
not
feature
for
the
Nets
due
to
his
refusal
to
get
a
coronavirus
vaccine
that
would
allow
him
to
play
home
games.
Of
course,
Brooklyn
also
have
James
Harden,
who
briefly
flirted
with
the
MVP
picture
last
year
prior
to
a
hamstring
injury,
but
Durant
will
be
the
team’s
go-to
as
long
as
he
stays
on
the
court.
Although
Durant
made
only
32
starts
in
35
games
in
2020-21,
he
led
the
Nets
in
points
per
game
(26.9)
and
usage
rate
(31.1).
Irving
ranked
second
in
both
categories
(also
26.9
points
per
game,
30.5
per
cent
usage).
The
former
Warrior
is
now
another
year
on
from
his
awful
Achilles
injury
and
gave
an
indication
in
the
playoffs
of
the
player
he
can
still
be.
Playing
in
all
12
games,
unlike
Harden
and
Irving,
Durant
scored
an
outstanding
34.3
points
–
a
league
best
among
those
to
play
10
or
more
games.
Only
a
borderline
call
on
a
Durant
shot
in
Game
7
against
the
Bucks
ended
Brooklyn’s
campaign.
With
or
without
Irving,
the
Nets
are
expected
to
contend
for
the
title
this
time.
Durant
was
Finals
MVP
in
his
two
championship
triumphs
in
2017
and
2018
but
has
only
a
single
regular
season
award,
back
in
2013-14.
If
he
is
back
to
his
best,
as
would
appear
to
be
the
case,
the
33-year-old
could
dominate
the
coming
season
from
start
to
finish.
Joel
Embiid
Should,
as
this
list
suggests,
voters
look
for
players
who
are
capable
of
putting
their
teams
on
their
backs,
Embiid’s
case
has
only
got
stronger.
The
big
man
was
already
the
Philadelphia
76ers’
key
performer,
evidenced
by
their
39-12
record
with
him
in
the
team
last
year
compared
to
10-11
when
he
was
missing.
Indeed,
had
Embiid
not
been
absent
for
such
a
number
of
games,
he
might
well
have
pipped
Jokic
to
the
top
individual
award.
Jokic
clearly
had
the
edge
as
a
creator,
his
8.3
assists
per
game
allowing
him
to
tally
16
triple-doubles,
Embiid
actually
averaged
more
points
(28.5
to
26.4)
and
his
prowess
on
defense
(including
1.4
blocks
per
game)
contributed
to
far
superior
numbers
in
terms
of
plus/minus
(7.9
to
5.3)
and
defensive
rating
(103.1
to
109.2).
Ben
Simmons,
the
Sixers’
second
man,
was
already
underwhelming
last
year,
and
Embiid’s
responsibilities
on
both
ends
of
the
floor
are
set
to
increase
due
to
the
uncertainty
surrounding
his
team-mate.
Even
if
Simmons
sticks
around,
as
is
now
a
possibility,
this
is
clearly
Embiid’s
team.
He
felt
it
had
not
been
previously,
responding
to
reports
Simmons
was
unhappy
with
the
dynamic
by
saying:
“I
feel
like
our
teams
have
always
been
built
around
his
needs.” Those
claims
were
“disappointing”
and
“borderline
kind
of
disrespectful”,
Embiid
added.
He
will
certainly
not
be
lacking
motivation
now
to
put
his
injury
woes
behind
him,
enjoy
another
outstanding
season
and
claim
the
MVP
award
that
evaded
him
last
year.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
