NBA: The MVP Candidates For 2013-14
Paul re-signed with the Clippers because he believes they have the pieces going forward to contend for NBA championships. Before re-signing, he pushed ownership to get Doc Rivers as coach, a move that eventually cemented his future with the franchise. He’s the best floor general in the game and now has even more shooters to distribute the ball to with the additions of Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick. Expect the Clippers to finish as a top four seed in the West and Paul’s assist numbers to increase from last season.
LeBron is in the middle of creating something special down there in South Beach. He already has four MVP awards and has a legit shot of capturing his third straight MVP and completing a three-peat. On top of that is his free agency after the season, where he will entertain the possibility of leaving Miami, depending on how Miami finishes the season. He remains by far the best player in the game and as long as the Heat finish near the top of the conference, he will continue to be a candidate every year for the rest of his career.
The Durantula finished second in the scoring race last season, leading the Thunder to the top seed in the conference. Russell Westbrook injured his knee and that put an end to the team’s title hopes immediately. There is not one player who can win by himself, and for Durant it is no different. For the past two seasons, he’s had to sit back and watch LeBron win two straight championships. But as he will turn just 25 at the end of this month, he has plenty of years left to win titles. Prediction for this season? Durant will close the gap between himself and LeBron even more. The question is: can Durant capture his first title while LeBron is still in his prime? That’s the challenge he faces for the next few years.
Gotham City has not had a star with Anthony’s talent in quite some time. This season is a tremendous opportunity for Anthony to elevate his brand even more in New York. He led the league in scoring last season and helped the Knicks lock up the second seed in the Eastern conference. His impending free agency only adds to the pressure that he needs to perform at a superstar level once again and lead the Knicks to a deep playoff run. If he’s successful in doing that, it’s likely he will stay in New York after this season.
It’s a fresh start for Howard in Houston. He’s got the star teammate he wanted, a new coach, and a strong supporting cast. Outside of last year in Los Angeles, in each of the past three seasons Howard has finished as a top candidate to win the award. He returns fully healthy from back surgery and a shoulder issue, where he will be motivated to prove to the world that signing with the Rockets was a better option for him to win now rather than playing under Kobe Bryant and waiting for the torch to be passed to him. Howard is clearly the best big man in the game when healthy and paired with James Harden, there’s little doubt that the Rockets will finish the season any worse than a four seed in the Western conference.
[slider_pro id=”31″]