Who Is In The Race For MVP in the NBA?
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The NBA season is coming to an end and the MVP race is heating up. Who do you think will take home the coveted award?
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the leading candidate for MVP in the NBA this season. He is averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while shooting 57.8 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range. He has also been extremely efficient with his shot selection, as evidenced by his true shooting percentage of 63.5 percent. Simply put, he has been the best player in the league this season and is deserving of the MVP award.
His Stats
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the Bucks’ leader in points per game, rebounds per game, and blocks per game. In the 2019–20 season, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP).
In 2013, Antetokounmpo was drafted 15th overall in the first round by the Bucks. He became the first player drafted in the second round to be named MVP. He is also just the third player to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.
In his seven seasons with Milwaukee, Giannis has been named an All-Star five times and has been selected to three All-NBA teams and two NBA All-Defensive teams. He is a two-time NBA blocks leader and led the league in steals once.
His Strengths
Most basketball fans and analysts would list Giannis Antetokounmpo as the most likely candidate to win the 2020 NBA MVP award. The Greek Freak is averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 54.7% from the field and 77.4% from the free throw line. He’s also averaging 1.2 steals and 1.023 blocks per game.
LeBron James
For the past decade, LeBron James has been the best player in the NBA. He is a four-time MVP, a three-time champion, and has been to the playoffs in every season since 2005. There is no doubt that he is the best player in the league, but is he the most valuable player?
His Stats
LeBron Raymone James Sr. (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history. His accomplishments include four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. James has appeared in fifteen NBA All-Star Games and been named NBA All-Star MVP three times. He won his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2012, and his second with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
In 2018, he signed with the Lakers. He reached the NBA Finals for a ninth time in 2020, but his team lost to the Miami Heat in six games. Also that year, he was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated, making him the third basketball player to receive that honor after Bill Russell (1968) and Michael Jordan (1991).
His Strengths
LeBron James is one of the most physically gifted athletes the world has ever seen. At 6’8” and 250 pounds, he has the size of a power forward, the speed and athleticism of a guard, and the strength of a linebacker. He is, quite simply, an extraordinary physical specimen.
But LeBron is more than just a great athlete; he is also a outstanding basketball player. He is an incredible scorer, a deft passer, and a superb rebounder. He has superb court vision and exceptional ball-handling skills. In short, LeBron is one of the most complete players in the history of the game.
In addition to his physical gifts and basketball talents, LeBron is also an outstanding leader. He has led his teams to nine NBA Finals appearances and four championships. He was named the NBA Finals MVP three times and the regular season MVP four times. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis is in the running for MVP in the NBA this season. He is averaging 27.7 points per game, 12.5 rebounds per game, and 3.2 blocks per game. He is also shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three-point range. Davis is one of the best players in the league and is having a great season.
His Stats
In his seventh season, Davis averaged 28.1 points (fifth in the league), 12.3 rebounds (second), 2.3 blocks (second), and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field and 34.9 percent from three-point range. He was named an All-Star for the fifth time, and was voted as a starter for the second time. He was also named to the All-NBA First Team for the third time in his career.
His Strengths
Anthony Davis is one of the best players in the NBA. He is a dominant force on both ends of the court and has won multiple MVP awards.
Davis is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker. He is also a great scorer, especially in the post. He has developed a nice outside shot, which makes him even more dangerous.
Davis is an excellent defender. He has the size and strength to defend bigger players, but he is also quick enough to defend smaller players. He is often tasked with guarding the best player on the other team.
Davis is an outstanding athlete. He is very fast for a player his size and has incredible leaping ability. This allows him to get easy baskets and make amazing blocks.
Davis is a great leader. He often takes charge on the court and motivates his teammates to play at a high level.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a two-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), and the only player in NBA history to have won an NBA championship and an NBA Finals MVP with two different teams.
His Stats
In his seven seasons in the NBA, Kawhi Leonard has averaged 16.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He was named an All-Star for the first time in 2016 and has been named to the All-NBA First Team three times (2016, 2017, 2018) and the All-Defensive First Team five times (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019). Leonard is a two-time NBA champion (2014 with the Spurs and 2019 with the Raptors) and was named the Finals MVP in both years.
His Strengths
Kawhi Leonard is one of the best two-way players in the NBA. He has improved his offensive game every season and is now one of the best scorers in the league. Leonard is also an elite defender. He has won two Defensive Player of the Year awards and is often tasked with guarding the best player on the opposing team. Leonard’s all-around game makes him one of the most valuable players in the NBA.
Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is in the running for MVP this season and he has definitely been putting in the work to get there. He is averaging 27.5 points per game, 11.2 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. He is shooting 49.8% from the field and 85.4% from the free throw line.
His Stats
In his first four seasons in the NBA, Joel Embiid has been one of the most dominant players in the league. He is a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team in 2018. He is averaging 23.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 30.8 percent from three-point range. Embiid is also a very good defender, averaging 2.0 blocks per game in his career.
His Strengths
Joel Embiid is one of the strongest candidates for MVP in the NBA. He is a center for the Philadelphia
76ers, and he has been playing some of the best basketball of his career. His strengths include his scoring,
rebounding, and defense.
Embiid is averaging 27.5 points per game, which is second in the NBA behind only Russell Westbrook. He is also averaging 11 rebounds per game, which is sixth in the league. Embiid has been one of the best defensive players in the NBA as well, averaging 2.5 blocks per game which is fourth in the league. All of these numbers are career-highs for Embiid.
Not only are Embiid’s numbers impressive, but he has also been clutch for the 76ers this season. In close games (games within 5 points with 5 minutes or less remaining), Embiid is averaging 8.8 points per game which is second in the NBA behind only LeBron James.
Joel Embiid has undoubtedly been one of the best players in the NBA this season and he deserves to be in consideration for MVP.
