Top 5 NBA players who could win their first MVP award during the 2021-22 season
NBA players are expected to be at their potential best throughout the season. At the end of the regular season, the NBA rewards the best player of the league with the coveted MVP award. Legends of the game like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant have previously been awarded the MVP honors.
In the modern-day game, there are several players like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and James Harden that have succeeded in winning the laurel. The long list of talent has kept many hoopers from getting to the MVP honors. In today's article, we mention five such players who could end that wait and get to their first MVP award during the 2021-22 season.
Top five players who could win their first MVP award this season
#5 Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum had a career year last season as he averaged 26.4 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 4.3 APG to lead the Celtics into the playoffs. All of the aforementioned stats are his career-best. He also had two 50+ scorers last season, which proved that he can be an elite scorer.
Tatum played exceptionally well in the playoffs last year. He was the lone player making something happen on the Celtics offense, as Jaylen Brown was out injured for the series. During the series against the Nets, Tatum averaged 30.6 PPG. He impressed, with a 50 point performance in Game 3 to win a game back for the Celtics. However, the Nets proved to be too strong for them, as they defeated the Celtics 4-1 to advance into the next round.
Tatum will be entering the fifth season of his NBA career. Having already proven to be an exceptional talent, he will be hoping to reach greater heights during the 2021-22 season. Having established himself to be one of the stars on the Celtics, Tatum needs another stunning season to cement his superstar status in the league.
#4 Paul George
Paul George proved all his doubters wrong after a stunning post-season performance with the Clippers. In the absence of Kawhi Leonard, Paul George led the team past the Utah Jazz and put on a great show against the Phoenix Suns, but fell one game short of getting into the NBA finals.
He averaged 26.9 PPG throughout the post-season and looked like his prime self in Indiana. Many expect Paul George to deliver an exceptional performance this year, as he will be the team's main guy in the absence of the KLAW, who is likely to sit out for a huge chunk of the season.
Having already proven that he can do it without Kawhi, Paul George stands out as one of the players to watch out for during the regular season. He is one of the dark horses for the MVP trophy and if he puts up terrific numbers like he did in the playoffs, PG stands a chance at winning his first MVP trophy during the 2021-22 season.
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