2019 NBA MVP candidates

Groub B: The genuine contenders

Charlotte Hornets v Boston Celtics

8) Joel Embiid

Philly trusted The Process, and now here they are with The Product. Obviously, Embiid has to play at least 70 games to be considered for MVP, but let's not dwell on that too much, everyone knows his injury concerns. Forget about how many games he has missed, look at how many he has played; how many players have been an all-star, made an all-NBA team, and made an all-defensive team after just 94 games, and at less than 29 minutes per game?

Embiid can score in a variety of ways, he's a mismatch for just about every defender in the league thanks to his size and unique skill set, he routinely makes smart passes out of the post when appropriate, and he's one of the best defenders in the league. He has all the talent to be an MVP, he has the numbers, and he has the right situation with a generational talent playing point guard. Only injury will take Embiid out of the MVP conversation.

7) Kyrie Irving

Irving ended up missing a quarter of the 2017-18 season with injury, as well as the Celtics' entire playoff run, so you would be forgiven for forgetting his blistering start to the season. He was electric during the Celtics' 16 game win streak in October and November, and his polarizing play style makes up for whatever he lacks in basic counting stats compared to other candidates.

Irving is a proven superstar and champion, he's adored by fans and the media, he plays in a big market, and he leads arguably the best team in the Eastern Conference. With Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier all rapidly improving, Gordon Hayward returning, and Al Horford anchoring the defence and leadership, Irving is poised to dominate as both a scorer and a distributor. The last four MVPs have been won by ball-dominant point guards with a deadly scoring ability, can Irving make it five in a row?

6) Anthony Davis

Milwaukee Bucks v New Orleans Pelicans

Davis has been putting up MVP numbers on both ends of the floor for his whole career. From ages 21-24, his third through sixth year in the league, he has averaged 26.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.5 blocks. He is just entering his prime and he has already showcased all the skills of an MVP.

Are the Pelicans good enough to launch Davis towards a legitimate MVP run though? Just like most of the Western Conference, their ceiling is probably third behind Houston and Golden State in the standings. He finished third in MVP voting last year on a sixth-seeded team, so it's not impossible to imagine him winning the award outright if he can push the Pelicans to the upper echelons of the west.

5) Russell Westbrook

The greatest stat-sheet-stuffer since Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson has a chance to add a second MVP to his tally in 2019. The novelty of Westbrook's statistical heroics seem to have worn off, however; averaging a triple-double in 2016-17 earned him MVP over an equally deserving James Harden, while the same feat - albeit with fewer points per game - wasn't enough to have him in the conversation last year.

Westbrook's path to another MVP is clear after the message that was sent last season, he must carry the Thunder to more wins. If the Thunder can surpass the Rockets or Warriors to finish top-two in the Western Conference standings, then Westbrook will probably take home the MVP trophy provided his stats remain steady.

The only way to catch up to the Rockets and Warriors will be vast improvement by the Thunder, and that will stem from Westbrook's performance. OKC can't expect last year's conference finalists to slide down to their level, they must improve and threaten to take a place in the conference finals.

4) Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak looked utterly unstoppable for long stretches last season and there's no reason to expect any different this year. Giannis has added at least four points per game to his season averages each of his five years in the league, and he looks to be finally be reaching his final form of stardom after a wild five years of development.

A supporting cast headlined by Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon and Brook Lopez is theoretically enough for Giannis to lead this team to the top rungs of the Eastern Conference, while role players such as John Henson, Matthew Dellavedova, Thon Maker, Tony Snell and Ersan Ilyasova give the Bucks one of the deepest benches in the league.

Coach Mike Budenholzer was responsible for the Atlanta Hawks' most successful regular season team in franchise history three years ago, and there's no reason to think he won't replicate that success with an even more talented team in Milwaukee. Giannis is one of the most beloved players and personalities in the league, he will be a lead candidate all year long if the team can stay functional.

3) Kawhi Leonard

Melbourne United v Toronto Raptors

Leonard became the forgotten superstar last season as he finished his San Antonio Spurs career on rocky terms. Now in Toronto, Leonard - who finished second in MVP voting in 2016 and third in 2017 - has a chance to claim his first MVP award on a team which may allow him to showcase more of his individual brilliance. The former finals MVP is the best perimeter defender in the league and an efficient scorer who may average close to 30 points per game this season.

The Raptors have been a regular season powerhouse for the last three years, but have fallen to the LeBron James Cavaliers in the post-season of each of those seasons. The expectations on Leonard and the Raptors are extremely high, especially for Leonard after his quirky departure from the Spurs tarnished his reputation somewhat.

The Raptors must finish atop the Eastern Conference standings for Leonard to have any chance of winning. They finished top with DeMar DeRozan as their best player last year, anything lower than top of the East will be too damaging for Leonard's narrative. The Raptors will be fighting Boston and Philly for that top spot, and they will be favourites to claim it if Leonard is playing his best basketball.