Who Are the NBA MVP Candidates?

It’s that time of year again! We’re nearing the end of the NBA regular season, and that means it’s time to start thinking about who the MVP candidates are. Who’s in the running this year?

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the top NBA MVP candidates for the 2020-21 season. He is averaging 27.4 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. Giannis is also shooting 59.5 percent from the field and 32.8 percent from three-point range.

Antetokounmpo’s stats

In his sixth season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.4 points (on 57.8% shooting), 12.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. He is one of only four players in NBA history to average at least 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists per game while shooting over 57% from the field (the other three are Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor). He is also one of only two players in NBA history (along with Robertson) to average at least 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists per game in a season without missing a single game (he has played in all 82 games so far this season).

Antetokounmpo’s impact on the Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo is in the discussion for MVP because of the profound impact he has had on the Milwaukee Bucks. The Greek Freak has led the Bucks to the best record in the NBA, and they are currently on pace to win over 60 games for the first time since 1980-1981.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 58.3% from the field and 30.6% from three-point range. His 26.9 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) ranks second in the NBA behind only James Harden, and his 858 total points scored are third behind only Harden and Russell Westbrook.

What makes Antetokounmpo’s MVP case even more impressive is that he is doing all of this while playing just 29.8 minutes per game. He is one of only two players averaging at least 27 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists per game while also shooting better than 58% from the field (the other is Harden). In terms of raw production, Antetokounmpo has been virtually unmatched this season.

The biggest knock on Antetokounmpo’s MVP candidacy is that he doesn’t have the same level of team success as Harden or Westbrook. The Rockets and Thunder are both contenders for the top seed in the Western Conference, while the Bucks are currently projected to finish with the fifth seed in the East.

However, it’s worth noting that Milwaukee has vastly outperformed expectations this season thanks to Antetokounmpo’s emergence as a superstar player. The Bucks were expected to be a good but not great team this season, but they have been one of the best teams in the league thanks largely to Antetokounmpo’s breakout campaign.

James Harden

James Harden is one of the NBA’s most electrifying players and is having a career year with the Houston Rockets. He is averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. He has also been extremely efficient, shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.7% from three-point range.

Harden’s stats

In just his eighth NBA season, Houston Rockets guard James Harden has cemented himself as one of the league’s best player. The 6-foot-5 former Arizona State Sun Devil was drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009. After three seasons with the Thunder, which included a trip to the NBA Finals in 2012, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets prior to the 2012-2013 season. In Houston, Harden became the focal point of the offense, and he hasn’t looked back since.

In 2017-2018, his eighth season in the league and seventh with the Rockets, Harden is averaging 30.4 points per game, 8.8 assists per game, and 5.4 rebounds per game. He’s also shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. Those numbers have helped him lead the Rockets to a franchise-record 65 wins so far this season.

Harden’s impact on the Rockets

In just his fourth season with the Houston Rockets, shooting guard James Harden has already made a huge impact on the team. He was instrumental in leading the Rockets to a playoff berth in 2013, and he is a big reason why they are one of the top contenders in the Western Conference this season.

Harden is averaging 25.4 points, 5.7 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game this season, and he is shooting a career-high 37 percent from three-point range. He has also been very durable, appearing in all but two of the Rockets’ games so far this season.

With Harden leading the way, the Rockets have a chance to be one of the best teams in the NBA for years to come.

Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis is one of the leading candidates for the NBA MVP this season. He is averaging 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game. He is also shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three-point range. The Lakers have the best record in the Western Conference and Davis has been a big reason why.

Davis’ stats

In his seventh NBA season, Davis is averaging 28.1 points (tied for 11th in the league), 11.1 rebounds (fifth), 2.3 blocks (second), 1.5 steals (tied for 12th) and 3.9 assists (tied for 29th) in 33.9 minutes per game while shooting 51.7 percent from the field, 32.6 percent from three-point range and 79.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Davis’ impact on the Lakers

In his first season with the Lakers, Davis averaged 27.7 points (third in the NBA), 9.4 rebounds (seventh), 3.1 assists (49th), 2.3 blocks (second), and 1.5 steals (19th) per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field (sixth) and 33.9 percent from three-point range (57th). He was named an All-Star for the seventh time in his eight seasons and was voted first team All-NBA for the fourth time. He finished second to Giannis Antetokounmpo in voting for Defensive Player of the Year and was fifth in MVP voting

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors is one of the leading candidates for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award. Leonard has been phenomenal this season, averaging 27.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He has also been excellent on the defensive end, averaging 1.8 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. Leonard has helped lead the Raptors to the best record in the NBA, and they are currently in first place in the Eastern Conference.

Leonard’s stats

In 64 games this season, Leonard is averaging 26.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from 3-point range. He ranks sixth in the NBA in scoring, 14th in steals and 15th in blocks. He also has a team-leading plus-minus rating of plus-8.2.

Leonard’s impact on the Clippers

Kawhi Leonard has been a huge impact for the Clippers so far this season. He is averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game. He is also shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range. Leonard has been a big reason why the Clippers have the best record in the NBA at 43-19.

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid is one of the most dominant forces in the NBA. He is a physical specimen who can score, rebound, and defend at a high level. He has improved his play each year and is now one of the best players in the league. Joel Embiid is a candidate for MVP.

Embiid’s stats

Joel Hans Embiid (/dʒoʊˈɛl ɛmˈbiːd/ joh-EL em-BEED; born March 16, 1994) is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks, he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the 76ers. However, numerous foot and knee injuries delayed his debut until the 2016–17 season, when he was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He played his first All-Star game in 2018. That same year, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team.

The following statistic shows Joel Embiid’s points per game average over his career in the NBA.

Joel Embiid’s points per game average:
2018-19 season: 27.5
2017-18 season: 22.9
2016-17 season: 20.2

Embiid’s impact on the Sixers

Joel Embiid is one of the most dominant players in the NBA, and his impact on the Philadelphia 76ers has been massive. He’s a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2019. He’s also one of the best defensive players in the league, and his presence has helped the Sixers become one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Embiid is averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this season, and he’s been even more dominant in the playoffs. He’s averaging 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in the postseason, and he’s leading the Sixers to a 2-1 series lead over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

There’s no doubt that Embiid is a key piece of the Sixers’ success, and he’s proving to be one of the best players in the NBA.