Cleveland Cavaliers: The early season MVP forecast
With nearly 20 games being played in the 2017-18 NBA Season, many players have stood out for their respected teams, and the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James is one of them.
The battle has been tight, but a couple players have shown the resistance to win the NBA’s most coveted honor. The NBA MVP is the highest level for any single players and has been held by many of the greatest to every play. That said, is it crazy to think Kyrie Irving could be the No. 1 NBA MVP candidate? Could the Cleveland Cavaliers help LeBron James earn his fifth MVP?
Here’s how we break down the top 5 with a little bit of explanation for why.
Previous: . Celtics: Kyrie Irving. 1. team. 18. Kyrie led the Boston Celtics to a 2-1 record this week playing against the Mavericks, Heat, and Magic. He continues to be an instrumental part in Brad Steven’s stifling defensive gameplan, resulting in a league-best 17-3 record. Not only is Kyrie leading the Celtics in PPG, APG, SPG, VORP, and WS/48, but he is the second most clutch player in the entire league, trailing only LeBron James.<p>In the last 3 games, Kyrie has averaged 33.3 points, 4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game on 60.9% from the field and 50% on three’s.</p>. (17-3)
169. Harden has played otherworldly to start off the season this year. He’s currently averaging 31.1 points, 9.8 assists, and 4.9 rebounds. With CP3 out for the most part in the first 18 games, Harden has carried the load, but with his return, CP3 has reenergized the Rockets offense—making them more potent than they already were. He and Harden led the Rockets to a 3-0 record winning by an average of 26 points per game against the likes of Phoenix, Denver, and Memphis.<p>Even though Harden’s numbers are better than Kyrie’s in this week’s forecast (averaging 33 points, 7.6 assists, and 5 rebounds) his team is also much better. The Rockets currently have six players averaging more than 10 points per game and three other players averaging more than 6 points per game.</p>. (14-4). Previous: . Rockets: James Harden. 2. team
(11-8). Previous: . Pelicans: Anthony Davis. 4. team. 69. After starting off the season 3-4, it seemed like the duo of Davis and Cousins was probably not going to work out. But after going 8-4 in November and currently riding a 3 game winning streak against the Thunder, Spurs, and Suns, AD & DeMarcus look like one of the best one-two punches in the game.<p>Anthony Davis has been on a tear in his last 3 games, averaging 29.3 points and 11.7 rebounds on 62% from the field. His highlight game came when DeMarcus was ejected against OKC. Davis led the Pelicans to victory, 114-107, scoring 36 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Durability and inconsistency are two major factors that place AD 4th in the MVP Race, but if he can continue to ride this win streak and stay healthy, there is no doubt he can jump higher on this list.</p>
Warriors: Steph Curry. 5. team. 41. Steph and the Warriors ended the week with a 2-1 record, but also played two games without Kevin Durant and a game without Draymond and won both of those games by an average of 28 points (They beat the bulls by 49 without Kevin Durant or Draymond).<p>Steph has been on fire his last 3 games against the Bulls, Nets, and Thunder averaging 32 points, 5.6 assists, and 7.7 rebounds per game. He’s also shooting a red-hot 54.6% from the field and 38% from 3. He’s shown that he’s the leader of the Warriors, regardless if he’s the best player or not. Without Steph’s leadership, there is no way the Warriors would be winning games without their two best defensive players in KD and Draymond.</p>. (14-5). Previous:
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That’s how we broke down the MVP candidates so far. Let us know your thoughts on the rankings in the comments.