2013-14 NBA MVP Contenders: Can Anyone Top LeBron James?

Contenders to LeBron’s NBA MVP Throne

LeBron James seeks his 5th career NBA MVP award. (Steve Jurvetson)

When LeBron James entered the NBA with the moniker “King James”, it was a branding scheme and marketing strategy. 4 NBA MVP awards in 5 seasons later, “King James” is simply a fact.

The award has practically had LeBron‘s name permanently etched on it; with the exception of Derrick Rose‘s lone MVP award 3 seasons ago, it’s belonged to James. With the Miami Heat seeking their third consecutive Larry O’Brien Trophy and the unwritten title of “Best Player in the World” bestowed upon him, the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player Award seems like LeBron’s to lose.

But certainly there are other contenders to the throne, itching to hold the prestigious award just once (or in Rose’s case, twice) in their illustrious NBA careers. From a pair of superstars in Oklahoma City, to a trio of point guards in L.A., San Antonio and Golden State, to a scoring machine and a new arrival in Houston, to last year’s NBA scoring champion, the list of contenders runs deep.

And who are potential dark horses in the race to become the NBA’s Most Valuable Player? Could we see the emergence of an Eastern Conference point guard leading a talented young core? Or might it be a return to glory for an aging, but still lethal, shooting guard?

Here are our top 10 contenders for the 2013-14 NBA MVP award, as well as 5 potential dark horse candidates who could receive votes by season’s end.

2013-14 NBA MVP Contenders: The Top 10

1. LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat. The four-time, reigning back-to-back NBA MVP is the odds-on favorite to win his 5th (and third consecutive) MVP award. The core of the Heat returns to chase a 3rd NBA Championship, and King James is the preeminent face of the league.

2. Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers. If anyone’s going to knock LeBron off his MVP pedestal in 2013-14, it will likely be Chris Paul, who can (if you can believe it) only get better with Doc Rivers at the helm – not to mention new sharpshooting weapons in J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley. CP3 has a real shot at averaging a double-double this season, which would be hard to ignore for MVP voters.

3. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant is a perennial MVP contender, and should OKC find itself with the #1 seed in the Western Conference, this conversation will get more serious. We’ve got him third simply because he’ll likely cede votes to teammate Russell Westbrook.

4. James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets. Even with Dwight Howard in Houston, this team will only go so far offensively as James Harden takes them. If Harden leads the league in scoring and the Rockets snag a top 3 seed in the West, he becomes a top-flight player in this discussion.

5. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls. The only man not named LeBron James to win the NBA MVP award over the last 5 seasons. D-Rose will take on the task of not only making the Bulls players in the Eastern Conference, but challenging the Indiana Pacers for the Central Division title.

6. Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks. Fans of Melo will cry foul over his #6 ranking here, but with new shooters like Andrea Bargnani in town, Anthony may cede some shot opportunities – that is, if Mike Woodson strays away from his “iso for Melo” approach more often this year.

7. Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors. Of all the contenders to the 2013-14 NBA MVP award, Curry may be the most intriguing. His MVP stock will likely go as high as the Warriors can ascend in the West; if Golden State snags home court in the first round and Curry averages 25 points and 7 assists per game, he’s a contender here. If the Warriors can somehow wrest the division away from the Clippers, he becomes one of the favorites.

8. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs. It really doesn’t matter how “old” the Spurs get; if Parker’s a major contributor, he’s in the MVP discussion. Parker has long been one of the most underrated players in the league, and if the Spurs finish 1st in the West, he may get some looks in this race.

9. Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder. Westbrook will likely finish behind his teammate Durant in this voting, unless KD misses significant time or (unbelievably) suffers a serious dropoff in production. If that occurs and OKC keeps winning, however, then Westbrook’s stock will climb exponentially as a result.

10. Dwight Howard, C, Houston Rockets. Fans of Dwight Howard may believe that he deserves to be ranked higher, and while we do believe he’ll benefit from a change of scene, Howard may have an early learning curve to adjust to – and his production may only reach an elite level halfway through the year.

2013-14 NBA MVP Contenders: 5 Dark Horses

1. Brook Lopez, C, Brooklyn Nets. Lopez reported to camp with a more muscular frame and reportedly showed improvement in strength closer to the rim. If the Nets become more than a 3- to 5-seed in the East and Lopez is a driving factor, he could certainly receive some votes.

2. Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers were picked by many media outlets (ESPN, for one) to finish outside the playoffs in 2013-14. If Kobe returns with a vengeance and carries this team to a playoff berth in the competitive West, he’ll certainly get the attention of MVP voters.

3. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF/C, Portland Trail Blazers. In terms of NBA big men, Aldridge is perhaps the most under-appreciated. If Portland aspires to the playoffs this year, many casual fans will hype the emergence of PG Damian Lillard; we’ll attribute it more to the outstanding work of Aldridge inside.

4. John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards. Perhaps the ultimate dark horse in this conversation, John Wall is at the helm of what many believe is a highly talented young nucleus in Washington. If Wall can stay on the court to lead the attack, he will not only create his own shot but facilitate the offensive game of Bradley Beal, rookie Otto Porter Jr., and the newly acquired Marcin Gortat.

5. Kevin Love, PF, Minnesota Timberwolves. Love will have a full season to benefit from the slick ball-handling of Ricky Rubio, and has the added advantage of Nikola Pekovic providing some interior help (and a defensive distraction) at center. A double-double campaign from Love will garner some MVP attention if the T’Wolves crack the Western Conference playoffs.

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