Five Early 2022-23 NBA MVP Candidates

The NBA season is off to an action-packed start. It seems as though every team has been competitive so far this season. We have even seen good starts from teams expected to have a bad season, like the Jazz and the Spurs.

There have been many stars playing at an elite level to start the season. Who would win MVP if the season ended today? In this article, we discuss five of the top MVP candidates so far.

Damian Lillard

The Portland Trail Blazers were initially viewed as a middle-of-the-pack type of team heading into the season. They weren’t bad enough to be a lottery team, but not quite strong enough to be a playoff contender. So far, the Trail Blazers have proven people wrong this season.

Damian Lillard has put the team on his back, leading the team to a 5-1 start. In those six games, Lillard has averaged 31.0 points and 4.6 assists per game. Considering he is coming off of an injury last season, he is off to a very impressive start.

Ja Morant

Ja Morant is also an early MVP favorite. He has been sensational for the first few weeks of the season. Ja is averaging 33.3 points and 6.3 assists per game. Even more surprising- he is shooting 56 percent from three-point range.

Ja Morant continues to improve his weaknesses. The only thing currently stopping Morant from being the NBA MVP frontrunner is his team’s success. The Grizzlies are 4-3 and have struggled in recent games without Jaren Jackson Jr.

Donovan Mitchell

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell this season, and so far, it has paid off. The Cavs are off to a 5-1 start, the second-best record in the NBA Eastern Conference. What makes that even more impressive is that the Cavs have only had about 12 minutes of action from Darius Garland, who suffered an eye injury.

Donovan Mitchell has picked things up without the NBA All-Star point guard. He has started the season averaging 32.2 points per game. He has also handled point guard duties, averaging 7.3 assists per game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak has already won two NBA MVPs over the course of his career. This season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has a chance to win his third MVP.

Giannis has led the Milwaukee Bucks to a perfect 6-0 start without his All-Star teammate Khris Middleton. The Bucks have already taken down some strong teams, such as the 76ers, the Nets, and the Hawks.

Giannis has dominated so far this season. He has averaged 33.8 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game on 58.9 percent shooting from the field. He has already had two 40-point games. Giannis improves every year. This year, he seems to be the most dominant he has ever been. If he continues to play at this level, the Bucks might never lose.

Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic certainly has the most impressive statline to start the season, which should draw NBA MVP buzz. He is averaging 36.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. What has been the most impressive is his ability to set the tone from the beginning of games. He currently leads the league in first-quarter points. If Luka continues to put up these impressive numbers, there is no reason why he shouldn’t win the NBA MVP, as long as the Mavericks have a winning season.