Jokić or Giannis.

I'd guess Durant.
If he comes back and BKN finishes strong.
Their favorites with him and also ran's without him.
Also true for the other candidates, but he will have shown it.

First step in analysis for MVP for me is to always ask

"Who is the clear cut best player on the best team?"

If there is an obvious answer to that question, then I think that the overwhelming favorite for the MVP should be that player.

This season, the best team has got to be either the Suns or the Warriors.

The clear cut best player on the Suns is Chris Paul.

The clear cut best player on the Warriors is Steph Curry.

Between those two, Steph is probably having an overall more impressive individual season, but I think it's easy to underrate a player like CP3 based on statline (e.g. 14 pts 10 ast 2 stl on 57% TS). 

I think Chris Paul deserves more consideration in these arguments than he typically gets.


Looking beyond those two guys, I think you have a 3 way argument between guys putting up monster stats -- i.e. Jokic, Giannis, Embiid.

If I'm picking from those three, I'm probably gonna pick Jokic because it feels like he has the least help. Also I just like him the most. But his team's record is not as good as the others'.

I'd say Embiid but I do hate his constant flopping. Embiid is having a monster season that Philly is wasting by not doing a Simmons trade this year.

Yes, I don’t like Embiid much either, but I think Morey’s intransigence with Simmons is appalling, and I’d love for Embiid to win MVP while the Sixers lose in the first round because Morey refused to make anything but the perfect trade.

I think Ja Morant needs to be considered. He’s averaging 26pts, 6reb, 7ast per game and the Grizzlies have the 3rd best record in the NBA. Also doesn’t play with any other all star caliber players. The season Ja’s having is reminiscent of the one D-Rose had when he won MVP.

I think Ja Morant needs to be considered. He’s averaging 26pts, 6reb, 7ast per game and the Grizzlies have the 3rd best record in the NBA. Also doesn’t play with any other all star caliber players. The season Ja is having is reminiscent of the one D-Rose had when he won MVP.

He is having an MVP season.

Jokic and Antetokounmpo are both now in their prime and they are statistically better than Ojaluwon, Malone, Robinson, O'Neal, Duncan, Garnett or Nowitzki ever were. That's a sight to behold, the best big men since the days of Chamberlain, Russell and Abdul-Jabbar.