The dawn of the 2024-25 NBA season is upon us, with the action tipping off on Tuesday night following an off-season and pre-season which have only served to whet the appetite for the real deal.
While team glory is the ultimate goal for every player heading into the new campaign, the prospect of being named the league's Most Valuable Player will be a realistic target for a select few of the NBA's star names - as well as possibly some dark horse dreamers.
Remarkably, it is six years since an American picked up the most prestigious individual award in the league - James Harden last doing so in 2017-18 - and the home-based players will no doubt be desperate to end that drought this time around.
However, they will once again face some stiff opposition, not least from the three players who have shared all of the last six awards - Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018-19 & 2019-20), Nikola Jokic (2020-21, 2021-22 & 2023-24) and Joel Embiid (2022-23).
Will one of those claim the prize for the NBA's best player once again in 2024-25, or will a new MVP carve his name into the Michael Jordan trophy?
Here, members of the Sports Mole team have linked up with our friends from Solobasket to discuss front-runners and dark horses for the 2024-25 NBA MVP.
Devesh Jaganath, Sports Mole reporter
MVP: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
I'm expecting a very big season from the Thunder, and if they manage anything close to the numbers they put up last year, rest assured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be at the centre of it.
SGA finished second in the MVP voting last season, and with an improved supporting cast behind him, I feel he will lead OKC's charge to the playoffs and earn the MVP award in the process.
While Luka Doncic is the current favourite, I have a sneaky suspicion that his reputation as a one-man army could diminish with the arrival of Klay Thompson, who will demand a share of the spotlight.
Outsider pick: Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Ja Morant was largely forgotten last season after yet another suspension before a serious injury, but let us not forget that he is the heart and soul of the Memphis Grizzlies and led the franchise to the number two seed in the West in both 2022 and 2023.
Now a year older at 25, and hopefully a little wiser, Memphis's poster boy will likely have something to prove after a calamitous last season, and he will undoubtedly be in the MVP discussion if the Grizz can return to the playoffs.
Marvellous Adepoju, Sports Mole reporter
MVP: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Giannis finished fourth in the MVP voting last time out off the back of another excellent campaign where he averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists.
Capable of impacting winning at both ends of the floor, the 'Greek Freak' has the strongest case for being the best two-way player in the league, and I am backing him to win a third MVP award following earlier triumphs in 2019 and 2020.
Outsider pick: Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Curry is the only player to have unanimously won the MVP award after his jaw-dropping exploits in 2016.
With the Warriors currently far from their best in terms of squad quality, Curry will need to put the team on his back like never before.
That added responsibility could spur him to another historic individual campaign and, consequently, a third MVP title.
Joshua Ojele, Sports Mole reporter
MVP: Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Nikola Jokic enjoyed another successful individual campaign last term, becoming the only player in NBA history to rank in the top 10 for total points, rebounds, assists and steals in a single season.
After helping Denver secure second seed in the West, the 29-year-old averaged 28.7 points per game on 54.5% shooting in the postseason alongside 13.4 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.2 steals as he led the Nuggets to the Western Conference semi-finals.
Jokic has been named MVP three times in the last four years, only missing out in 2023 when he finished behind the Philadelphia 76ers man Joel Embiid, and should he stay healthy, I see him claiming the award once again as he continues in his prime years.
Outsider pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Averaging 30.1 points and 6.2 assists per game, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma Thunder to top spot in the West last season while cementing his name as one of the league's best competitors.
Gilgeous-Alexander's standout campaign saw him finish top-five in the MVP voting for a second consecutive year, this time only behind winner Jokic, and with the 26-year-old primed to lead OKC to their first NBA championship, this could see him land the MVP award.
Sergio Llebres, Solobasket reporter
MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
It's just a matter of time before the Slovenian takes home the award for best player in the competition.
Everything will depend on the records that the Dallas Mavericks have at the end of the regular season. Doncic continues to improve and his ceiling, at this point, is unimaginable, with outrageous averages even for a star like him.
Outsider pick: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
It seems like the Milwaukee Bucks are not very well-regarded, but we must remember that Antetokounmpo does not need much to make his team win.
It may sound strange to have a double MVP as a 'surprise', but it is really curious how a team and a player who are still contenders for everything have lowered their standards.
Freddy Diaz, Solobasket reporter
MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
The MVP of the 2024-25 season will be Luka Doncic.
We were able to see how the arrival of Kyrie Irving further strengthened the Dallas Mavericks squad, a factor that influenced the Slovenian's performance.
He was even one of the candidates to win the MVP last season; remember that they were also runners-up after being defeated by the Celtics in the finals.
Now with the arrival of one of the best shooters in the league like Klay Thompson, Doncic will have many more spaces to project his game, not only in terms of offense, but also with his assists.
With the ability that the Slovenian player has to average almost a triple double per game, he is one of the big favorites for the 2024-2025 MVP.
Joaquin Espeche, Solobasket reporter
MVP: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Finally, Luka Doncic will win the NBA MVP award. It will break the hegemony of Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, but will continue with the supremacy of the Europeans.
Established as a star of the league and with the experience of having played in the NBA Finals, Luka will lead the Mavericks to a new definition as the best in the West.
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