Given how long fans of the NBA were forced to wait between the end of the last season, where the Milwaukee Bucks won the championship over the Phoenix Suns, and the beginning of the new campaign, it then seems hard to believe that some teams have already played 12 times. There is so much action so often in the world of basketball, that if you look away for too long, most of the season will have passed you by without you realizing.
Despite lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy back in July, the Bucks have not been in great form so far this season. While they did beat the New York Knicks 112-100 in their most recent game, they have actually lost as many games as they have won this season, with their overall record standing at 6-6. This inconsistency means that fans might avoid the Bucks when searching for NBA betting picks on their sports betting sites of choice.
The Bucks still have the 2020 NBA MVP amongst their ranks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is also affectionately known as the ‘Greek Freak’ as was born and raised in Athens. He is still performing well for the Bucks, scoring 15 points and registering 8 assists against the Knicks, and was the leading scorer against the Philadelphia 76ers, but the team around him is struggling at present.
Antetokounmpo will be hoping the team’s form improves in the coming weeks, as he will want another shot at being crowned MVP again. He also won the top prize in 2019, so winning it again this year would be his third MVP award. To achieve such a feat is very rare in the NBA, as only 8 players have ever won 3 or more.
Will the Greek Freak make this season another to remember with his 3rd MVP award? Or if not, who are the other main contenders for the award, as things stand? Let’s take a look at some of the other candidates, and try to predict who we think is going to be the NBA MVP for the 2021/22 season.
Curry a key player in the Warriors’ resurgence
Between 1975 and 2015, it was tough being a Golden State Warriors fan. It was a barren time for the team, who didn’t even make it to the NBA finals during this period. However, something clearly clicked in 2015, as for a few years they became the league’s dominant team. They won the Championship that year, and also 2017 and 2018, as well as making it to the finals 2016 and 2019.
One of the key figures in the side was Stephen Curry, who picked up the NBA MVP in 2015 and 2016 for his contributions. He is now looking like a world beater again, after the Warriors missed the playoffs for 2 years in a row. The side from San Francisco are currently comfortably top of the Western Conference, having won 10 of their 11 games so far. They are currently on a 6 game winning streak, after being beaten by the Memphis Grizzlies at the end of October, in what was a very close game.
Could Curry be in line to win his 3rd MVP? If he takes the Warriors to the playoffs, and maybe even to the NBA Championship games, then he will certainly be a strong contender.
