It’s time for us to say things we will look back on and regret in just a few short months.
With the NBA season just a little more than a week away, the NBA writing staff here at NBC Sports have put together our predictions for MVP and Rookie of the Year (the top three in each). We will likely forget these within 24 hours, but no doubt you readers will remind us how wrong we were down the line.
Let’s get to it:
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Kurt Helin: 1. Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); 2. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers); 3. James Harden (Houston Rockets)
This is the year Davis, already a top-five NBA player, stays healthy and puts up MVP-level statistics, and does so on a team that will be in the playoff hunt, keeping it in the eyes of voters. That will earn him his first MVP, whether it’s enough to keep him in New Orleans long term is another discussion. Beyond Davis, it’s hard not to lean toward the top vote getters from last year, especially LeBron who will be on a team that will need him to carry a big load in the deep West.
Dan Feldman: 1. James Harden (Houston Rockets); 2. Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans); 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Harden won MVP last year and finished a fairly close second two of the previous three years. He is almost always in the mix for this award, and people seem to be overlooking him in the race this season. Davis and Antetokounmpo are fresh names, and voters sometimes reward that. Of course, if LeBron James -- the NBA’s best player -- cares about chasing this award, he’ll be in the thick of the race. But getting these Lakers to a record that impresses voters won’t be easy.
Dane Delgado: 1. James Harden (Houston Rockets); 2. LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers); 3. Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
I really want to pick Kevin Durant here, because he might actually be the most dominant player in the league even if his value to the Golden State Warriors is obviously less than absolute. I think if the Rockets can build on last season, Harden will continue to be the reason why. Any guy who leads a team who can slow or derail the juggernaut in the Bay Area is going to get a lot of repeat votes.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Kurt Helin: 1. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks); 2. DeAndre Ayton (Phoenix Suns); 3. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
Three years from now I’m not convinced Doncic will be the best player in this class — I think that will be Jackson in Memphis — but he’s the most NBA ready and he’s going to get the touches needed to put up numbers. Ayton will get touches in Phoenix this season, if they can figure out the point guard situation. This is a deep class and other players could get in the mix (keep an eye on Marvin Bagley Jr. and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander).
Dan Feldman: 1. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks); 2. Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns); 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Los Angeles Clippers)
Doncic and Ayton have tools and roles to flourish early. There’s enough Doncic hype coming out of Dallas already that I gave the edge to him. The third spot was throwing darts.
Dane Delgado: 1. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks); 2. Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns); 3. Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
Luka Doncic is going to get something the other rookies won’t get this season, and that’s unfiltered praise for being a poster boy for the modern NBA. A big tweener forward who handles the rock, shoots, and passes like every game is an AAU All-Star event is going to make the collective NBA social sphere lose its mind each and every night. Ayton might end up having a higher ceiling, but this year Doncic is going to be all over your Twitter feed.
