NBA MVP Race 2021-2022: Top 5 Candidates, Early Projected Winner

The 2021-2022 NBA MVP race has a very heavy favorite with Christmas still two weeks away. Stephen Curry is the early projected winner as he tries to win the award for the third time.

In ESPN’s MVP straw poll conducted from Dec. 3 through Dec. 6, Curry received 94 of a possible 100 first-place votes. The Golden State Warriors star had 978 points, using the NBA’s scoring system that tallies points depending on where a player lands on a voter’s top-five ballot.

Curry is also the clear betting favorite. The 33-year-old leads all players at FanDuel Sportsbook with +150 odds to win this season’s MVP award.

Kevin Durant finished second in the straw poll with 610 points and two first-place votes. Giannis Antetokounmpo was third with 471 points and three first-place votes. Both players are tied for second with +500 MVP odds.

The top three candidates are the NBA’s top three scorers.

The betting odds suggest that it could be turning into a three-player race. Reigning MVP Nikola Jokic is fourth with 256 points and +1500 MVP odds.

Curry has been the best player on the league’s best team. A season after winning the scoring title, Curry ranks second with 27.5 points per game. The sharpshooter is making 41.2% of his 13.3 three-point attempts per contest. Curry is also averaging 5.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.8 steals.

Golden State has the NBA’s best record at 21-4 with the league’s top defense. Curry won the MVP award in 2015 and 2016.

Durant has led the Brooklyn Nets to the top of the Eastern Conference and a 17-8 record. The one-time MVP leads the league with 28.4 points per game on 52.9% shooting. Durant is averaging 7.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 23 games.

Antetokounmpo is trying to win his third MVP award in four years. The reigning NBA Finals MVP is averaging 27 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks trail Brooklyn by 1.5 games in the standings.

Jokic might have the best individual statistics of any NBA player. The Denver Nuggets star is first with a historic 34.41 PER, in addition to his 26.1 points, 13.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

Denver has a losing record. Jokic is unlikely to garner many first-place votes unless the Nuggets climb up the standings.

Chris Paul finished fifth in the straw poll with 160 points, but he’s tied for 10th with +6500 MVP odds. Paul leads the league with 10.1 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns, who are only a half-game behind Golden State for the West’s No. 1 seed.

Paul has never been an MVP.