The staff question this week was about the NBA vs just the Mavericks: who is going to be the NBA’s MVP this year?
David: I’m going with Luka Doncic. He is primed for the breakthrough MVP award that we thought he’d get three seasons ago. His numbers this year will be ridiculous; like 35 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists kind of ridiculous. The Lakers will win 50 games, and the media will finally come around to him now that his sleek figure fits their narrative. It’s too early for Wemby, too absurd
for an SGA three-peat, and too much Luka for anyone else.
Salvador: I would go 50/50 between Wemby and Luka. If Wemby qualifies, I think he wins it as voters tend to reward players from the year before (their playoff run), but I agree for the most part with David
Michael: The MVP award is an almost impossible task. There are always three or four players worthy of the award, and somehow it seems to be decided by things that didn’t necessarily take place during the regular season. The race is often so tight that a few playoff games enter the equation, or a player from last year’s championship team gets the nod, etc. As objective as I can be, I’ll go with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. I do think he will be hard-pressed to convince voters to give him a third straight, especially after a loss in the Western Conference Finals last season, but I suspect the Thunder are going to be one of the league’s best teams and he’s at a stage in his career where he may just have yet another level to attain. Victor Wembanyama is also highly likely to get the award based on betting odds, but I think enough voters will be hesitant to give it to a third-year player that it will cost him the honor. I suspect he would have to leave no doubt while the Spurs were the #1 seed by a decent margin for him to get it, and I think the Thunder will have something to say about that. So, factoring in voter bias, I suspect both players will be in a tight race, with SGA winning it behind a Thunder team that lands ahead of the Spurs in the standings.
Bryan: My pick for MVP of the 2026-2027 season is…the Toronto Raptors’ own Scottie Barnes. The Knicks, Celtics, Raptors, Pacers, Sixers, Heat and Pistons are all going to be in a race for the number one seed in the East, and if it isn’t the Knicks or Celtics who grab it, the Raptors have as good a chance as anyone. Kawhi Leonard will not get a serious look as MVP for obvious reasons, but Scottie had a coming-out party in last year’s playoffs and announced himself as one of the 12 to 17 best players in the league. As someone sharing the primary shot creation burden with Kawhi and the most important defender on what should compete with Boston, OKC, and San Antonio for the best defense in the league, Barnes will have plenty of narrative tailwind propelling him forward as long as the voters are paying attention. While the splash of the Kawhi acquisition should draw national media eyeballs, hopefully the play of their emerging star will keep them watching. Honorable mentions to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, but I’d rather not lay those expectations on guys still in their first full year back from Achilles injuries.
Matt: It feels like it would take an act of God for Wemby not to win it. The Spurs are set to run back probably the best roster in the NBA after a Finals run that was arguably ahead of schedule. And the powers that be in the NBA seem to love a linear, uncomplicated narrative. Wemby has done all of the necessary steps thus far to be in consideration. If he stays healthy, going from rookie phenom to DPOY to team leader of a Finals runner-up, all the pieces have aligned for Wemby to be anointed so long as nothing catastrophic befalls San Antonio.
Tyler: Okay, now that I’ve collected myself from reading Bryan’s prediction, let’s get nuts. Anthony Edwards is your 2026-27 NBA MVP. Why? Well, the addition of Lamelo Ball gets him out of the square peg, round hole situation he was in last season when he was running point. Because of that, he’ll get to launch more wide open threes generated by Ball. By the way, Edwards was 40% from deep on 8.4 attempts last year, after being 39.5% on over 10 attempts per game previously. Beyond that, Edwards was near 50% on catch and shoot looks. Guess who all of a sudden will get a ton of catch and shoot looks? The man can shoot, the man can defend, and he’s one of the three most likable players in the entire NBA. If Minnesota is a top three seed, that is your MVP.
