Nba, mvp of the first part of the season: here’s who deserves it

The race is open. Indeed, very open. Mid-season it’s awfully hard to say who deserves the mvp, with at least 3 candidates almost on the same level. Mid-season, however, it is time to take stock, and therefore also to make choices: here is the top 10 for the MVP race for what we have seen so far. The same rules apply as for the end-of-season judgments: the mvp is the player who is experiencing a great personal season, he helps the team to win and improves his teammates.

It is much more than the usual defensive wall: best rebounder of the season (15.1 per game), best by percentage from the field (70.6%, never so precise), second in the standings of blocks. And more and more leaders, so much so that he has warned the Jazz that Warriors and Suns are still a step above. Gobert took another step forward this year and bites for Utah more than Mitchell.

He commands the ranking of assists (the only one at 10), but above all he commands Phoenix, the team with the best record, and makes sure that it is always a splendid orchestra. Without disdaining some personal magic and trying to prepare his teammates to do without his outbursts in the fourth period that often decide the games. Without him the Suns would not be the same.

After his worst start ever (12 games missed in the first 23) he is putting in a historically amazing individual season: second best scorer at 29.1 points per game (his highest since 2009-10), over 30 points in 11 of the last 12 games . Despite his excellence, however, his Lakers fail to win. And as he says himself, that’s the only thing that matters.

He is the smashing star of the breakout team, who has proven to be more than just Morant’s talent but who amazes even more when Ja is on the pitch. The 24.4 points are by far the best figure of his career, but the steps forward compared to last year are evident, especially in his ability to read the games and to be decisive by always doing the right thing. The limit is the sky for him.

An amazing leap forward in the last month, with the last 13 games flown to 30.7 points and 10.2 rebounds on average. It is no coincidence that Philadelphia has returned to march quickly, despite Covid. The one that Embiid had in November that kept him out for 3 weeks.

He is experiencing the best season of his career, because he is averaging 25.7 points on the difference for the best team in the East that he has contributed in a decisive way to making it so. DeRozan is the leader of the Bulls, the man of charisma to whom all teammates would entrust the last shot. His career in San Antonio seemed to be in a downward spiral, but Pop made it even better.

Perhaps Michael Malone is right when he says the Joker is the most snubbed reigning MVP in history. He is playing an amazing season averaging 25.5 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists, in which he is even more decisive than last season. The problem is that his spells are barely enough to keep Denver afloat, decayed by injuries.

He is on the lowest step of the podium, but the difference with who is in front of him is minimal and the Greek is reducing it with every game. Play with a confidence that only winning gives you, with a mastery of his means and of the team, despite being shaken by continuous injuries, which makes him even stronger. His 28.5ppg make him the third best scorer of the season. It adds 11.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists. Amazing.

The Nets have only one certainty this year: Kevin Durant’s crystal clear talent. Best scorer of the season at 29.7 points per game, a collection of decisive plays and the ability to score in any way, from any position. Brooklyn is leaning on him, who also travels at the top of his career on assist. Unbeatable.

True, he’s been in a slight decline in recent weeks, but his first two months of the season have been absolutely sensational, illuminated by overtaking Ray Allen at the top of the triples standings and by leading the Warriors to the best NBA record, a title that Golden State now shares with Phoenix. Steph is stronger than ever: not only does he score at will, but he always knows how to do the right thing and make his teammates better. He would end up here in a race that is still very, very uncertain.