The trade deadline of February 6th is approaching, and new rosters are shaping up, with many big names scheduled to change teams. With all the excitement, many have forgotten about a close MVP race. This season is interesting because even though a few players are most talked about when it comes to the MVP spot, there are many real contenders.
Crypto betting sites are already providing odds for who will be the next MVP, and the odds have been rapidly changing in the last couple of days. With plenty of crypto exchanges available in California, players can easily use crypto funds to place wagers on the outcome.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Even though most of the media is focused on Nikola Jokic as the top contender, there are plenty of reasons to consider SGA the favorite. He’s playing for the best team in the League. He has never won the MVP spot before, and Jokic did, and he led the League in scoring. SGA averages 37.4 points per game, and he put up 40 points and eight assists in a win over the Cavaliers in less than 30 minutes. As is often the case with an MVP, it’s a choice between a player with the best stats and the one that contributes to their team the most – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has the numbers on his side.
Nikola Jokic
Nikola Jokic has the best player-efficient rating in the history of the NBA. He ranks third in points, third in rebounds, second in assists, and fourth in steals per game. The Nuggets are also among the top four, mostly due to Jokic’s efforts, as the team is not at their best. There’s little doubt that Jokic is the best player in the League, and the MVP spot is up for grabs only when scoring statistics are considered, outside of the overall performance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is the only player who can compete with the top two, with 31 PPG, which makes him the second-best scorer in the League. Only eight players in history have averaged at least 30 points, 10 boards, and five assists for a full season, and Antetokounmpo is one of them. He first achieved this goal in 2022-2023. If he manages to do so again, he will be the first player in history to do it in three seasons. It’s also important to point out that Antetokounmpo has a shooting percentage in the 60s, which none of the other seven players had. The fact that a player with such an outstanding performance is a distant third contender for the MVP spot shows how great a season the League is having.
Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards is the first on our list of dark horse picks for the MVP. Statistically, there’s very little chance he’ll win the spot, barring a major injury from one of the players we’ve mentioned before. However, the Timberwolves are having an amazing season, especially due to their amazing defense. His PPG is 25.9, and he’ll soon be a 30-point-per-game scorer if the team continues to dominate as it does. The 23-year-old is still in the early years of his career, and we’ll hear much more about him in the years to come.
Jalen Brunson
The Knicks haven’t had a season this good since the 90s. They’ve had the first 50-point win in 22 years. They’ve also used the off-season to boost the team after many injuries. Similarly to Edwards, Brunson plays an important offensive role in a team focusing heavily on defense. At this point, Brunson still isn’t up to 30 points per game, which means he can’t compete for the MVP spot unless other players we mentioned aren’t able to. However, he earned an all-stars spot and is one of the players we should be looking for.
Ja Morant
Ja Morant had a very strange season, as he was seen as the face of the NBA for a while but had a lot of bad luck with injuries and suspension that kept him off the court for quite a few games. The 25-year-old was a contender for the MVP spot and was in the All-Star game while he could play. The Memphis Grizzlies had terrible luck with injuries all around and ended up with only 27 wins last season, which led them to a lottery pick that turned out to be one of the best NCAA players. The team is also mostly focused on defense, which is becoming a theme, allowing the scorers to rise.
The MVP race isn’t very close, and there are only two or three real contenders, reflected by the odds on crypto betting sites. As is often the case, the decision will be a dilemma between stats and overall impact on the court. There are also a few dark horses who probably won’t win but are rising stars.