The National Basketball Association MVP award is one of the most prestigious awards in the league. Every year, fans and analysts debate who will be named MVP, and this year is no different. There is no doubt that this year the fight for the NBA MVP will be very close since great candidates are giving great shows.
One of the candidates making merit in recent weeks is Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant on fire
Brooklyn started the season on the wrong foot with a 1-5 record. As a result, the team fired coach Steve Nash.
Also, Durant requested a trade throughout the summer before his maximum four-year extension began. This was quite a problem for the Nets, who had to deal with the situation and the player’s bad attitude.
Finally, the change did not occur, and Kevin Durant remained in the Nets, where the player had found the best version of himself.
As of November 1, the Nets have the best record in the NBA at 19-7 and have emerged as legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Durant has been responsible for leading the team to this level of performance.
Averaging 29.9 points per game, this could be his best season as a scorer since 2013-14 when he racked up 32.0 points per game and won MVP.
Kevin Durant has put up impressive numbers this season, converting 63% of his 2-point attempts while also racking up his career-best efficiency numbers in the paint and at midrange.
Durant has made an NBA-high 164 jumpers this season with 59.6% shooting; only two players have combined midrange volume and efficiencies like this: Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki. However, Durant’s ERA is almost 10 points higher.
KD also reached the fifteenth position in the ranking of top scorers in the history of the NBA, surpassing Tim Duncan.
All that matters is playing.
In an interview with Michael Lee for the Washington Post, KD is honest that he is not interested in being better than anyone. “I don’t give a shit if I’m better than LeBron or Jordan,” he said.
He also mentioned the reason for his departure from the Golden State Warriors in 2019 despite getting two rings with the team. “I just wanted to play basketball in a different place. A lot of people think I’m chasing something. And I think it probably stems [from] when I said, ‘I don’t want to be number 2 anymore.’ I was number 2 in high school in the draft.
“I had to explain to people that I wanted to come back and win the Finals. It was not something of: ‘I want to be the best in history.
“I want to get up every day and do what I do. If we win, I know this has been my best version. I am proud to be a part of the league’s history and to encourage people to work on their game.”
Merits to be MVP
In short, KD is building a solid case to be considered MVP of the season. This is Durant’s 15th NBA season, and he has been named an All-Star 12 times and earned 10 All-NBA selections.
He’s never been considered an elite defender, but he’s become a significant asset on defense this season.
The Nets rank eighth in the league in defensive efficiency.
However, Durant has received just one MVP vote over the previous three seasons and hasn’t finished in the top five in MVP voting since 2016, which makes things not look very positive for the player.
The odds place Durant as the fifth favorite for MVP with +850, behind Jayson Tatum (+280), Luka Doncic (+440), Giannis Antetokounmpo (+360), Nikola Jokic (+500).
This an excellent opportunity to capitalize on NBA betting
The MVP race in the NBA this season is proving to be one of the most exciting and unpredictable yet.
With so many players having a legitimate case for the award, it will undoubtedly go down to the wire with multiple worthy candidates still in contention.
This presents an incredible opportunity for bettors who know how to find value in the odds and make smart wagers on who they think will take home the trophy.
As betting markets become more efficient, finding value when wagering on sports has become increasingly difficult.
However, when it comes to MVP futures bets, bettors have a great opportunity to capitalize on potential changes in momentum that could sway the vote towards one or another candidate as we approach closer and closer to deciding who will be crowned this year’s MVP winner.