With the 2024-25 NBA season just days away, SportsMall takes a look at the top contenders and dark horses to win this year's MVP award.
The dawn of the 2024-25 NBA season is just around the corner, and Tuesday night followed an offseason and preseason that only served to whet the appetite for the real deal.
when Team pride is the ultimate goal The prospect of being named the league's most valuable player for each player heading into the new campaign is a realistic goal for a select few names among NBA stars.
It's been six years since an American won the league's most prestigious individual award. James Harden The last time it did so was in 2017-18, and the domestic players will no doubt be eager to end that drought this time.
However, they will once again face stiff opposition, especially from the three players who have shared the last six awards: Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018-19 and 2019-20), Nikola Jokic (2020-21, 2021-22 and 2023-24) and Joel Embiid (2022-23).
Will one of them reclaim the NBA MVP award in 2024-25, or will a new MVP engrave his name? michael jordan Cup?
Here members game mole The team joins our friends at SoloBasket to talk about the favorites and dark horses for the 2024-25 NBA MVP.
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Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
I expect a great season from the Thunder, and if they put up anything close to the numbers they put up last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will surely be at the center of it.
SGA finished second in MVP voting last season, and with an improved supporting cast behind him, I believe he will lead OKC to the playoffs and win the MVP award in the process.
when Luka Doncic The current bias is that I doubt their arrival will diminish their reputation as a one-man army. Clay ThompsonWho will claim a share of the limelight?
External selection: Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Za Morant was largely forgotten last season after another suspension before a serious injury, but let's not forget that he was the heart and soul of the Memphis Grizzlies and led the franchise to second place in the West in both 2022 and 2023 .
Now 25 years old and hopefully a little smarter, Memphis' poster boy has something to prove after a disastrous last season, and will certainly be in the MVP discussion if the Grays return to the playoffs. .
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MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (milwaukee dollars)
Giannis finished fourth in MVP voting thanks to another excellent campaign in which he averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Capable of impacting success on both ends of the floor, the 'Greek Freak' makes a strong case to be the best two-way player in the league, and I'm rooting for him to win his third MVP award following previous wins in 2019 and 2020. .
External selection: curry step (warriors of the golden state)
Curry is the only player to win the MVP award unanimously since the 2016 upset.
With the Warriors currently far from their best in terms of team quality, Curry will need to put the team on his back like never before.
That added responsibility could propel him to another historic individual campaign and, as a result, a third MVP title.
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MVP: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Nikola Jokic enjoyed another successful individual campaign last season, becoming the only player in NBA history to rank in the top 10 in total points, rebounds, assists and steals.
After helping Denver finish second in the West, the 29-year-old averaged 28.7 points per game on 54.5% shooting, along with 13.4 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.2 steals.
Jokic has been named MVP three times in the last four years, only missing out in 2023 when Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid fell behind, and if he stays healthy, I see him claiming the award once again as he continues in his best moment. .
Outside Pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Averaging 30.1 points and 6.2 assists per game, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma Thunder to first place in the West last season and cemented his name as one of the league's top contenders.
Gilgeous-Alexander's excellent campaign put him in the top five in MVP voting for the second year in a row, this time behind winner Jokic, and the 26-year-old got to watch as he led OKC to its first NBA championship. Get the MVP award.
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MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
It was only a matter of time before the Slovenian took home the Man of the Match award.
It all depends on the record the Dallas Mavericks hold at the end of the regular season. Doncic continues to improve and his ceiling is unimaginable at this point, with scandalous averages even for a star like him.
Outside pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
The Milwaukee Bucks may seem underrated, but we have to remember that Antetokounmpo doesn't need much for his team to be successful.
It may seem strange to have a two-time MVP as a 'surprise', but it is very curious how a team and a player who has been competing for everything has lowered the bar.
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MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
The MVP of the 2024-25 season is Luka Doncic.
I could see how it came Kyrie Irving The Dallas Mavericks further strengthened the team, which affected the performance of the Slovenian players.
He was one of the candidates to win the MVP last season; Remember, they were runners-up after being defeated by the Celtics in the finals.
Now with the arrival of one of the best shooters in the league in Klay Thompson, Doncic will have even more opportunities to show his game.
With the Slovenian's ability to average almost three triples per game, he is one of the favorites for the 2024-2025 MVP.
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MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Finally, Luka Doncic will win the NBA MVP award. It would break the dominance of Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, but it would continue with the dominance of the Europeans.
Established as the star of the league and with experience playing in the NBA Finals, Luca will lead the Mavericks to a new definition of being the best in the West.
