The NBA MVP race this coming season will be as competitive as ever. Major moves have been made this offseason, and it may be safe to say that those will be on hold for the time being. In addition, injured superstars are also making their return this coming season. With the season only a month away, take a look at the early predictions.
2022-23 NBA MVP Predictions
Two on the Outside Looking In
Two players who will certainly garner attention all season long both come from the Atlantic Division. Jayson Tatum pushed the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals, whereas Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers consistently puts up impressive numbers while racking up wins.
Tatum averaged about 27 points, eight rebounds, and four assists per game last season. He’s an offensive flamethrower and will continue to be just that. Tatum was on the brink of superstardom for a couple of years, but he truly ascended this past season. The Celtics are bringing in an additional playmaker in Malcolm Brogdon, so Tatum should see his offense excel all season long.
Embiid is no stranger to the MVP conversation. Last season he put up outstanding numbers at about 31 points, 12 rebounds, and four assists per game. The 76ers further improved their roster, so Embiid should continue to dominate while leading his team to one of the top records in the entire league.
Potential to Explode
Luka Doncic has been one of the top players in the league for a couple of years now. The Dallas Mavericks also made the Western Conference Finals last season, so they will be considered a title contender.
Doncic, of course, will lead them in most major statistical categories. Last season he averaged about 28 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists per game. Putting up triple-doubles while winning games has become routine for the Slovenian superstar. That won’t change.
The Mavericks will also be looking a tad different next season. Jalen Brunson is gone, but his scoring gets replaced by a big man in Christian Wood. The defense should also further improve with JaVale McGee, who also presents a lob threat for Doncic. Now Doncic will have big men to feed alongside his squad of shooters. He’ll still average close to 30 points per game, but Doncic’s assist numbers could hit double-digits.
Two Leading NBA MVP Candidates
The top candidates are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Antetokounmpo is no stranger to success. He’s widely regarded as arguably the top player in the league. The Bucks bowed out of the playoffs in disappointing fashion for their standards, so Antetokounmpo will come back hungry. Last season he averaged about 30 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists per game while being one of the league’s top defenders. That won’t change and he’ll feast all season long while the Bucks rack up wins.
Jokic is the reigning MVP this next season, just as he was the season prior. His numbers were ridiculous as he averaged 27 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists per game. Besides the numbers, Jokic also carried a depleted Nuggets team into the playoffs. This next season, however, should see Denver at full health. They also changed up areas of their roster. There’s no doubt that Denver could compete as the best team in the league, especially with Jokic leading the charge.
