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NBA: 5 players who can win the MVP for the first time in 2020-21

By Luke Duffy

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat greets Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks after the game at American Airlines Arena on February 28, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat greets Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks after the game at American Airlines Arena on February 28, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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NBA (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Ahead of the new NBA season, there are a group of superstars who could conceivably win the MVP award for the first time in their careers.

As we head into the 2020-21 NBA season and the uncertainty that it will bring, there is one unescapable fact. The superstars of the last decade, the LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant types, are all getting older. Not past their primes old, at least not yet anyway, but the end of their primes is in sight.

While this is sad, we typically define eras in our own lives by the star players who were at the top of their games at the same time, it is also a time of excitement. It is clear that there are a new group of superstars emerging, who will ensure that the league is in safe hands into the next decade and beyond.

light. Related Story. James Harden and 5 players who need a trade this season

Which makes the race for the regular season MVP award trophy this season an exciting one. The power shift in the league, and the return to traditional “Big 2s” and opposed to “Big 3s” or super teams, means the field is wide open for a new player to emerge victorious and win the award for the first time in their careers.

As is usually the case with the MVP award, narrative will likely have a lot to play in who comes out on top as well. So while we are about to examine five players who should be in the running, one player who has been exempt from the list is Anthony Davis. Not because he’s not good enough to win the award, at 27 he already has the kind of resume that would get him into the Hall of Fame.

But because as long as James is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and alongside Davis, the two will not only cancel each other out, but James will grab more of the headlines. This despite Davis being a monster for the Lakers on their run to a championship in the bubble. It may be that this is the season he takes over as the guy in Los Angeles, it has to happen at some point, but for now he isn’t included.