MVP: Anthony Davis
While making a case for the league’s best defensive player, Anthony Davis was also making a case as its most valuable, placing third in the voting for MVP in 2017-18.
He averaged a mind-numbing 28.1 points and 11.1 rebounds a night to go along with his league-leading 2.6 blocks per game, leading the Pelicans to the sixth seed in the brutally competitive Western Conference.
According to Odds Shark, AD has the second-best odds to win this coveted trophy behind only LeBron James, a clear indicator as to the season many predict he will have.
When healthy, it’s difficult for any player to come close to replicating what Davis can do on both ends of the floor. Even scarier, he appears to have added a 3-point shot to his already advanced offensive arsenal.
Even with all that AD can do on the basketball court, the MVP still takes into account team success just as much as individual statistics.
We know the stat lines Davis is likely to put up will make everyone shake their heads in disbelief, but if he can lead New Orleans above the 50-win threshold, there’s a high chance he’ll be holding that bronze Maurice Podoloff trophy when the time comes.