NBA Finals 2017: Kevin Durant Favored To Win MVP, Stephen Curry And LeBron James In Contention

Kevin Durant might have joined a ready-made championship contender when he signed with the Golden State Warriors last summer, but he’s proving he isn’t simply along for the ride. After spectacular performances in both Game 1 and Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Durant is the odds-on favorite to win the 2017 NBA Finals MVP award.

Heading into Game 3 at Quicken Loans Arena, Durant leads all players with -400 betting odds to be named the Finals MVP. Stephen Curry has the second-best odds with +250 at Sportsbook.ag. LeBron James is the only other realistic candidate with +850 betting odds.

READ: Kyrie Irving Holds The Key To Cleveland's NBA Finals' Chances

Durant was just about perfect in the series opener, putting up 38 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and no turnovers on 14-of-26 shooting. He was the best offensive player in Game 1 even as he was given the assignment of guarding James for most of the contest. In Golden State’s 19-point Game 2 victory, Durant scored 33 points on 22 shots, adding 13 rebounds, six assists, five blocks and three steals.

As good as Durant has been, it isn’t as if he’s completely outplayed Curry. Golden State’s point guard is averaging 30 points on just 19.5 field-goal attempts per game, making 10 of his 22 three-pointers. Curry posted a triple-double in Game 2, and he’s just four total rebounds away from averaging a triple-double for the entire series.

If Curry isn’t named the MVP for this series, it will mark the third straight finals appearance for Curry without winning the award. Despite winning the regular-season MVP awards in both 2015 and 2016, it was Andre Iguodala and LeBron James that were recognized in those series.

James has certainly put up MVP-like numbers, averaging 28.5 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists on 55.3 percent shooting. But he won’t win the award unless the Cavs win four of the series’ final five games and defend their championship.

Jerry West is the only player to win the MVP award when his team lost the finals, doing so in 1969 when the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. James arguably should have won the award when the Warriors defeated the Cavs in their first meeting in the finals. The voters picked Iguodala even though James averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 8.8 assists without both Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.

It’s hard to imagine any other Cavaliers being named the MVP in the event of a Cleveland comeback. Irving has been a vast disappointment in the first two games of the series, totaling more shot attempts than points. Love grabbed 21 rebounds in Game 1 and scored 27 points in Game 2, but he’s been a liability on the defensive end.

Irving has +7500 MVP odds and Love has +1500 odds. Draymond Green has +4000 odds after averaging 10.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. Klay Thompson has +6000 odds after scoring 22 points on 12 shots in Game 2, though he went just three-of-16 from the field in Game 1.