Injury issues may have factored into the MVP race more than usual during the pandemic-shortened 2020/21 season, when Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic remained healthier than several other All-NBA talents en route to earning his first MVP award.
Regardless, Jokic turned in an incredible and worthy MVP season. The three-time All-Star center played in all 72 regular season games and averaged an eye-popping 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG, on .566/.388/.868 shooting splits, for a Denver team that finished third in the crowded Western Conference with a solid 47-25 record. Can the 25-year-old superstar repeat as the MVP for the 2022 season?
Sixers center Joel Embiid, Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (the eventual 2021 Finals MVP), and Suns point guard Chris Paul rounded out the list of the top five players receiving the most votes. Prior to incurring significant mid-season injuries, Embiid and Lakers forward LeBron James, a four-time winner, appeared to be the frontrunners for the award last year, alongside eventual victor Jokic.
Antetokounmpo has already won the award twice, in 2019 and 2020. As the best player on the reigning champion Bucks, the 26-year-old appears likely to vie for the honor again next year. Curry was also a back-to-back winner, in 2015 and 2016.
Through the first month of the 2020/21 NBA season, there was a different MVP favorite among media members. Nets All-Star Kevin Durant enjoyed a terrific comeback year in 2020/21 after an Achilles tear kept him sidelined for the entire 2019/20 season. Injuries and load maintenance limited Durant to just 35 regular season games with Brooklyn, however. He certainly looked like the best player on the planet during the Nets’ injury-impeded 2021 playoff run, plus a subsequent march to his third Olympic gold medal with Team USA. The 32-year-old was previously the 2014 MVP while with the Thunder.
Durant’s All-Star teammate James Harden, the 2018 MVP, is normally quite durable, but he missed an unusual amount of time last year with a nagging quad injury. Given that the Nets will field perhaps the most loaded roster in the NBA between Durant, Harden, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, and significant depth, one of Durant or Harden seems like a very viable MVP candidate next year.
With 2021/22 returning to an 82-game schedule amidst a much-lengthier turnaround time between seasons than last year, it appears likely that many veteran All-Stars will again be in the running for MVP honors. The aforementioned players all seem like safe bets to be in the mix for the award again this season, assuming good health. James and Paul, the two oldest players among that group, could see their MVP chances hampered by minutes management.
Beyond these usual suspects, other players may find their way into the MVP conversation. Depending on team record and player health, Lakers big man Anthony Davis, Suns shooting guard Devin Booker, Hawks point guard Trae Young, Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell and center Rudy Gobert, Heat swingman Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo, Clippers forward Paul George, Knicks forward Julius Randle, Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard and Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic all seem like fringe candidates for MVP consideration.
The crowded Eastern Conference could also see a surprise MVP contender (or, at least, a conceivable top-five finisher in media voting) emerge from several teams hoping to vault up the standings, thanks to active offseasons. Bulls All-Star guard Zach LaVine, Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis seem positioned to benefit the most from their teams’ summer makeovers, should those changes lead to top-four conference finishes for any of their clubs. In the case of the Pacers, the biggest personnel upgrade may have been on the bench, where the team added longtime Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle to replace one-year Indiana coach Nate Bjorkgren.
We want to hear what you think! Which of these players we mentioned is your way-too-early favorite to win the 2021/22 MVP award? Which young All-Star could move into being a top-five MVP vote-getter for the first time? Is there anyone we haven’t mentioned that you think could work their way into the conversation? Weigh in below in our comments section!
So there are 24 potential MVP candidates this season? It’s a wide open race.
Really 24 ????
I counted 24 there. Obviously most of them won’t get any votes.
Multiply that by 30 teams and you have 720 potential MVP candidates
First time the words “Sabonis” and “MVP” have ever been mentioned at the same time.
MVP of the Pacers, maybe.
I agree but how many would have predicted Jokic getting it this year?
sabonis earned mvp awards in 85, 93-94, 94-95, and 04. poy honors in 85, 88,95,97,99. it’s been said at the same time before. ik, i reached.
True enough.
Lakers are not going to Finals. Unless they have an MVP candidate. Jokic is not winning back to back MVPs. Curry could be there if Warriors fight for West Finals. I mean only top 4 teams in West will have an MVP candidate. Rockets only MVP will be Most Valet Players car. Booker could be in this.
The East it starts with Giannis. KD is only one on Nets that could win it. Embiid will have to be there after Ben leaves. So there are only 6 or 7 players who realistically can be an MVP in 2022. My money is on Giannis.
If Jalen Green plays well this season he won’t win the MVP, but he has a great shot at winning ROY. Then maybe he can win MVP in 2023 or 2024.
Maybe not. Maybe J-Greenest will break his leg doing acrobatics. Anyway, right now he’s a nothing. 24 names and no rockets. Now go keep losing vicariously.
Who is coming out of the west then. Phoenix??? Clippers? lol
Donovan Mitchell MVP
MVP definition
The best player in the best team
Even though I’m a fan of the Jazz the MVP went to the right guy last year. Jokic deserved it. Only thing I’d have to say is why was Chris Paul considered over Mitchell when he was the 2nd best player on his own team?
Chris Paul may have been the second best player on his team, maybe even third, but he’s DEFINITELY the MVP of that team and deserved mvp votes for the entire league.
The Suns are nothing without Chris Paul.., just look at 2 and 3 years ago.
My prediction is Luka Doncic.
I think with Utah, The Lakers and Denver not really worrying about the 1 seed and a bit of a bounce back year from K.P. Dallas will finish with a top 4 seed led by Luka with a near triple double average.
no mention of westbrook?
mvp is best regular season player on best regular season team, with that said russ should be there
Why would they mention Westbrook? Westbrook will be the 3rd best player on a 3rd-7th seed team. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying the Lakers aren’t contenders it’s just that they’ll be resting their players a lot because Davis is injury prone and LeBron will be 37 and Westbrook will be 33 soon.
If the Lakers big three stay healthy there might be playing a few less minutes per game but there won’t be any talk of load management. Only thing sorrier than a hater is a hater on drugs
Nagging injuries are a form of load management. Its not the games they miss on purpose….
Wrong. Nagging injuries are just that. Injuries. Load management is taking games off while healthy
Implant, you’re wrong. I think if a guy feels 100% no matter who it is or how old he is he’s getting out there and he’s playing.
But over the long season ankle tweaks, bum knees, hips, shoulders Etc, it’s like, “I need a day off.., I could play if it was a playoff game, but let me ice down my ankle for today’s game and tomorrow’s off day, and it’ll do a lot of good for the rest of the week.”
That’s what’s going on with load management. You take a game off so a nagging tweak DOESN’T BECOME an injury that forces you to miss a couple games.
There are also games where the medical does not clear you. These are gray-area situations. Like happened with Utah, now under new management (for whatever reason).
Jason Tatum emerges in MVP discussions in 2022.
Noticed he’s not mentioned.
Oh, he was mentioned.
Jokic, Embiid, Giannis the top favorites!
AD & Luka the ones that can easily be there if health & team success allows them to be there! With AD might be difficult as part of a big 3.
KD & Harden should be there but again like AD it will be difficult for them to compete for the MVP as a loaded big 3!
LBJ is a big unknown, depending in his playing time & again playing with AD & Russ won’t help him at all!
Curry, CP3, D-Book, Trae, Mitchell, Gobert, Butler, Adebayo, PG13, JR, Dame, ZLV, JT & JB they shouldn’t even be mentioned in the race for MVP, is just disrespectful!
Now Sabonis if he can progress even more & IND has a great season could be a dark horse, but that is a very long shot!
So is gotta be one of Jokic, Embiid, Giannis, Luka or AD barring major injuries!
76ers won’t be good enough for Embiid to get it.
The 24 mentioned… and a few others:
Got his due: Giannis, Kris, Steph
Due: Doncic, Harden, Dame
Lacks the drive or health: AD, KD
saving himself for playoffs: LJ
Not liked: Westbrook, George13, Irving
Too much drama: Embiid, Tatum
Team declines: Jokic, Butler, Bam
Maybe: Paul3, Booker, Mitchell, Sabonis
Maybe not: Trae, Gobert, Randle, Brown, Lavine
…
26 more for a top 50:
Derozan, Simmons, Barret, Hunter, Beal, Dinwiddie, Lavert, Vanvleet, Suggs, Garland, CadeC, JeramiG, Conley, Murray, KawhiL, McCollum, Nance, Nunn, Morant, Fox, ZionW, Ingram, Towns, Edwards, ShaiGA, Wall.