With 2019-20’s NBA Finals ending with the victory of the LA Lakers, many developments are taking place in the NBA. From who’s hitting the free agency to who will get MVP Award for 2021. The MVP award of 2020 was a tough one with the rivalry between LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Giannis was awarded the title.
In the upcoming NBA championship of 2021, there are many deserving contenders for the award; however, in this article, we have decided to talk about the top five players. They might go on to win the prize. We are not saying that James and Antetokounmpo are not going to win it, just that many players are in the race this time.
NBA MVP Award for 2021: Top 5 Picks
While everyone has their preferences for who can be the winner of the MVP Award in 2021, we have picked the candidates by considering various factors that put them in the list. Let’s see who are those top five players.
#5 Stephen Curry
Stephen is one of the first names that come in our list for the early contenders of 2021 MVP. He’s performed on-season games that can put him quickly in that position. Besides his scores, he’s tried to make a good impact on Golden State Warriors. Curry has proved his capabilities by winning two MVPs consecutively in 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Curry’s chances were hindered post-2016 because of players like Kevin Durant. However, he put in efforts to put his team in the Player Efficiency Rating for the next two seasons. If all goes right, he might give the old glory back to Golden State Warriors.
#4 Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is the name that shouldn’t surprise you if you have been paying attention to his career trajectory. He already has added the 2019-20 NBA championship to his portfolio, along with that hat he’s good points and PER. He can be called the best defender of the Lakers.
There was some relaxation displayed by the Lakers last campaign as they felt there wasn’t any need to maintain the performance in the regular season. However, that won’t be the case in the upcoming NBA Playoffs as they have to get into it.
Though the legendary LeBron James will be playing alongside him in NBA 2021, he still has to improve his dominance compared to the last season because having LeBron makes winning championships easier but not the MVP. Davis can’t afford to loosen the grip over the game.
#3 NBA King: LeBron James
You can’t miss out The King of the NBA aka LeBron James when it comes to contenders for the award. He’s definitely in the top three choices for it. He’s always shown that he’s a top contestant for the MVP.
Just as mentioned earlier that Davis gets a tough challenge from his teammate, James, the same can be said here about LeBron. He has to understand that Davis has led the Lakers in PER the last season. If James wins the 18th MVP Award, it’s going to be a genius feat to achieve for him in his entire career.
#2 Luka Doncic
It’s been over two years since this Slovenian player entered into the NBA and started to make his impact in the game. He’s already shown his prowess by achieving Rookie of the Year award in the 2018-19 season.
The Dallas Mavericks might see him winning it in the 2020-21 season, with his following record- 24.7 points, 7.3 assists and rebounds of 8.5 each game. This is an impressive portfolio. No surprise has given that he comes from the Real Madrid Basketball team.
His second season was no less phenomenal: 28.8 points, 8.8 assists along with 9.4 rebounds in each game. All that while he’s just 21 years old. His excellent play against the Clippers makes people believe that he might win the MVP next season.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is already a recipient of MVP awards two consecutive times. Upcoming 2020-21 season will be his third chance to own it. However, this time it’s not going to be a cakewalk for him. If he manages to win it for the third time, he will be the fourth player to do that in the history of the NBA.
Earlier, three players had done that: Bill Russell from 1961-1963. Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 and Larry Bird from 1984-86. It will be a remarkable history for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.
The upcoming season is going to be a challenging one for all. What do you think about our list? Have you considered your picks for the 2021 MVP? Write them down in the comments to let us know. Follow us for the more exciting updates on the NBA.
