MVP Candidates to Watch
Errol – Jimmy Butler
Quietly, Jimmy Butler is making a solid case to finish in the top five of MVP voting. While his numbers don’t “pop” per se when comparing him to many of the other candidates, there still is a solid case. He’s averaging 20.2 points, 6.4 assists and 7 rebounds per game. He’s had five or more assists in 25 games and five or more rebounds in 30. On previous teams, he relied on more for his scoring and individual defensive abilities.
With the Miami Heat, he’s been able to flourish in more roles as the Heat continue their impressive 30-13 start and look to lock in a top-three spot out East.
Paul – Nikola Jokic
I think it would be easy to go with a guy like Anthony Davis or Giannis Antetokounmpo as they have both been great this season. They steadily do what they want on the offensive side of the ball and they both take care of business on the defensive side. But the guy that means the most to his team and has his team near the top, is Nikola Jokic.
I know many will say he is not even the best big man in the NBA but I say different. As the reigning center on the all-NBA team, Jokic is a guy that truly plays for his team. He is unselfish on the offensive end and it shows as he averages about eight assist a game.
With six game-winning shots over the past 14 months, he leads the midseason NBA in the category and has taken control of a team that needed a leader. To me, he is a true MVP.
Lamarr – Luka Dončić
Luka Dončić is putting together a fantastic season; he averaged 29.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.0 assist per game. Dončić is nearly averaging a triple-double and shooting 46 percent from the field. Once Dončić starts to hit the three-point shot more consistently, he will be an even more dangerous player. Right now, he is only shooting 32 percent from three-point land. Dončić is quickly becoming must-see TV every time he plays, and he is helping to lead the Dallas Mavericks back into the playoffs.
Andrew – Jimmy Freaking Buckets
Where did this team come from? The Miami Heat will always be a free agent destination, I mean they reside somewhere that never has a day under 50 degrees or any state income tax. This being said, even when Jimmy Butler signed a 4-year max worth $142 million, nobody thought this team would sit at 2nd in the Eastern Conference with a 29-13 record in late January. While a big part of this early season success can be attributed to big-time play from an emerging rookie in Kendrick Nunn, a breakout year from big man Bam Adebayo, and the sparkplug Boy Wonder, Tyler Herro, there is no doubting the biggest dog in the fight has been Jimmy Butler.
Averaging a stat line of 20/7/6.4 with 2 steals, Butler has been the unquestioned best player and leader on the second-best team in the East. While the odds are against him to win MVP with the amazing seasons of Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, and the young phenom Luka Dončić, at the NBA midseason point, he is definitely a player to keep an eye on if Miami can make a push for the top seed.
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