Ending the Debate-Who Should Win the MVP Award?

There have been 17 different players that won the MVP award in the past 25 seasons. Of the 17 players, Lebron James has won 4 MVP awards, the most by a player in that time span. It is a testament to Lebron’s longevity that in year 22, he is still a viable top 10 candidate for the prestigious award. Another interesting fact is that the award has been won the last six times by a player not born in the United States. The dominance by the international player is poised to continue this season, with three of the top 4 candidates on this list from overseas. With only six games left, it feels like the race for MVP has been decided, and the remaining matchups will not influence the outcome. In this article, we will discuss the top 5 candidates for league MVP and who should win the award.

5. Donavan Mitchell-Donavan Mitchell is a six-time NBA All-Star, but it is the first time in his career he can legitimately be considered an MVP Candidate. Mitchell’s season agonizingly ended last season when he sustained a knee injury during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the Boston Celtics. Mitchell could not play any further part in the series and witnessed from the bench his team getting eliminated in 5 games. With Kenny Atkinson as the new Head Coach, the Cavaliers held the best record in the league for most of the season until slipping recently to number 2. Mitchell has led from the front to heights only reached when Lebron was playing for the hometown squad. Mitchell is averaging 24.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. Mitchell’s scoring has dipped slightly from 26.6 points last season, but the team is doing better this season because he has allowed Evan Mobley and Darius Garland to flourish.

4. Giannis Antetokounmpo-Giannis missed the 2024 first-round loss against the Indiana Pacers after suffering a left foot soleus strain. The Greek Freek returned this season on a mission to prove the doubters wrong and ensure he does everything humanly possible to put his team in a position to win. Giannis is averaging 30.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 6 assists this season in spearheading the Bucks playoff push. Averaging a 30-point double-double is not an easy feat in NBA history, but it comes with the territory for the big man. Unfortunately, he is not higher on this list because the Bucks have struggled record-wise with a 41-34 record, which is sixth place in the East standings. The prospect of a deep run in the playoffs appears bleak because teammate Damian Lillard was recently diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis, which has him out indefinitely.

3. Jayson Tatum-Tatum silenced the critics in the 2024 Championship run by leading the Celtics to their first championship in 16 years. However, the naysayers still point out that he did not win the NBA Finals MVP, or Eastern Conference Finals MVP, and was benched during pivotal games at the Olympics. Tatum has responded by taking his game to another level this season by averaging 27.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in helping the Celtics 56-19 record, which is the third-best in the league. Tatum’s scoring, rebounding, and assists are above his career averages in what is considered his best season. The Celtics have won 14 of the last 15 games as they look prime for a run toward back-to-back championships, which is rare in the modern NBA. He may not win MVP season, but he has elevated his chances for next season while having his eyes on this year’s final MVP.

2. Nikola Jokic-it feels like Jokic is a walking Hall of Famer despite having so much left in his career at age 30. Jokic has dominated the MVP voting by winning 3 of the last four years. This season, Jokic has somehow gotten better by averaging 29.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 10.2 assists in dominating the basketball court. Jokic has 31 triple-doubles this season and had a 60-point triple-double against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With six games remaining, Jokic is poised to join Oscar Robertson and current teammate Russell Westbrook as the only players to finish the season averaging a triple-double. The only reason he is not number 1 is that the Denver Nuggets are 47-29 and battling to keep the third seed in a congested race in the Western Conference.

1. Shai Gilgreous-Alexander-Shai is poised to win his first MVP and become the second Canadian to win the award after Steve Nash. Alexander is playing at a different level to the competition and is the model of consistency in averaging 32.8 points, five rebounds, and 6.4 assists. Shai took the exit from the 2024 Western Conference Semifinal personally by leading his team this season and playing with a vengeance. The Thunder have won 17 of their past 18 thanks to Shai’s brilliance and own the best record in the league at 63-12. If they close the regular season undefeated, the team will finish with 70 games, which makes them potentially the third team to reach that mark. Even if the team decides to rest Gilgreous-Alexander for some of the remaining games, it feels like the race for this award has been decided and belongs to SGA.