2019-20 NBA MVP favorites and odds

Five of the six most recent NBA MVPs are among the favorites to win the hardware again this season. The only reason it's not six of six is because Kevin Durant is rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon. While there hasn't been a back-to-back MVP since Stephen Curry in 2014-15 and 2015-16, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the stats and the Milwaukee Bucks in a position to win. If he pairs his 2018-19 stats with an Eastern Conference title, the "Greek Freak" has a chance to become the sixth player to win MVP two times.

At 40-to-1, Donovan "Spider" Mitchell is a MVP long shot and for good reason. While his points per game increased during his second season, from 20.5 to 23.8, the Jazz believed too much pressure was placed on Mitchell to carry the offense. So they went out and signed veteran Mike Conley to take some pressure off. It'll be interesting to see how Conley helps Mitchell's NBA game evolve and if that translates to improved NBA odds as the season plays out.

One of the more coveted players at the trade deadline the past few seasons, Walker's talents were somewhat muted as a member of an underachieving Charlotte Hornets franchise. Now in his ninth season, Walker has averaged 19.8 points and 5.5 assists during his career. He starts a new chapter with the Boston Celtics this season and with the talent around him, he could see an uptick in points and assists. However, with Jayson Tatum on the roster, Walker may be the second fiddle and that's why his MVP odds are 40-to-1. 

Despite hitting the biggest shot in franchise history, Kyrie was ready to move on from Cleveland. He thought a fresh start with the Celtics would make him happy. However, the "start" never truly began, as injuries and team chemistry issues torpedoed any chance of a long tenure in Boston. He joined the Nets, his third team in four years, where he hopes he can lay down some roots, grow and possibly finish his career. How does this pertain to his MVP odds? With no Kevin Durant this season, Irving will embrace the role of on-court conductor, something he hasn't enjoyed since 2013-14. If he gets the Nets to the Eastern Conference Finals in Year 1, it'll be a miracle but one that would go a long way to earning him his first MVP.

Towns has missed only five games through his first four seasons. This durability will be put to the test in Year 5, but if he can get his 24 points and 12 rebounds per game up to, say, 27 and 15, he'll be in the MVP race no matter if the Timberwolves make the playoffs.

The Trail Blazers have earned a postseason berth in six of Lillard's seven NBA seasons. However, they made their first trip to the Western Conference Finals last season and were promptly swept by the Warriors, 4-0. So it's back to the drawing board for Lillard and his wingman, C.J. McCollum. At this point we kind of know what to expect from Lillard year in and year out, which doesn't make his MVP ceiling high enough to compete with the favorites. It's not a knock on the talented scorer, but it's just the fact he is who he is and that's, unfortunately, not an MVP top-three favorite.

Paul George was the man in Indiana. It was his team, but after seven seasons and years of heartache losing to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, George packed his bags for Oklahoma City where he wasn't the man. He shared the spotlight with Russell Westbrook for two years and despite averaging 28 points per game last season, he didn't earn one first- or second-place MVP vote and finished third. George has now relocated to Los Angeles where he'll share the spotlight with Kawhi Leonard. If George can come out with the same intensity and drive as he did last year, don't be surprised to see his numbers improve across the board and for him to make a run at the 2019-20 MVP. Leonard hates the media attention and may look to George to carry more of the offensive load, as the duo works to lift the Clippers to their first NBA Finals in franchise history.

Mr. Triple Double has averaged 26.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game the past three seasons. The rebounds and assists should remain in the same range, but now that Westbrook shares the court and touches with James Harden, most expect his points per game to drop significantly. It's not to say he can't win his second NBA MVP in the past four seasons, but Westbrook joined Harden's team and not vice versa.

Speaking of triple-doubles, Jokic is a 7-foot, 250-pound load who can handle the ball in the open court. The Nuggets big man finished with 12 triple-doubles last season, second only to Westbrook's 34. While he compiles plenty of stats, which helps his team win, Jokic is known more for his antics on the court and can get easily flustered. He picked up nine technical fouls last season, which ranked tied for 18th. Due to his size, he'll probably have to get his rebounds per game metric up from 9.6 to 13.0-plus for his MVP chances to improve.

Can he stay healthy? Will he play in more than 75 games? If both of those answers are "yes," then Embiid would be a top five MVP candidate. However, he missed 19 regular-season games two years ago and 18 more last year. In the 64 games he did play, he averaged 27.5 points, 11.1 rebounds and two blocks per game. If Embiid posts those numbers in an 82-game season, he's an MVP.

Leonard's defensive prowess isn't flashy or sexy, and it probably costs him some MVP votes. He helped lead the Raptors to the NBA Finals and a championship only to finish ninth in MVP voting last season. Perhaps if he and Paul George turn the Clippers franchise from an eighth seed in the West to a top-three seed, both will enjoy the benefit of the MVP doubt and Leonard's 20-25 points per game aren't an eyesore.

Anthony Davis suffered a sprained thumb in preseason action, but an MRI came back clean  with no signs of ligament damage and he's day to day. It's the first bump in the road for Davis, who joined forces with LeBron James during the offseason as the duo hopes to bring an NBA title back to the Lakers. The oft-injured big man has averaged 23.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game through his first seven NBA seasons. If he can play an 82-game campaign, his MVP chances soar, but he's averaged just 66 games per season to date.

Harden has averaged more than 30 points per game in each of the past two seasons, which includes his 2017-18 MVP effort in which he earned 86 of the 101 first-place votes. However, his sidekick the past few seasons was point guard Chris Paul, who is known more as a distributor than a shooter. Harden may need to sacrifice some shot attempts to make his new wingman, Russell Westbrook, feel more at home. Fewer shots could translate to more assists, and that provides a more balanced MVP resume, which can go a long way to contending with the top three favorites.

It's been a rough preseason for LeBron. First Anthony Davis suffers an injury scare, and then he goes on the record about the NBA in China controversy. The Lakers haven't played one regular-season game, and James is behind the eight ball. Despite missing 27 games due to a groin injury, James averaged 27.4 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game on a team that won just 37 games last year. With all the preseason drama, it'll be fascinating to see how LeBron responds in the early part of the season or if/when the Lakers experience some on-the-court turmoil.

With Kevin Durant in Brooklyn and Klay Thompson rehabbing a torn ACL, the Warriors are Steph Curry's team once more. Yes, Golden State signed D'Angelo Russell to fill the void left by Thompson, but don't be surprised if Curry makes a run at his NBA record 363 three-pointers that he set back in 2015-16. He averaged better than 30 points per game that season, which screams NBA MVP especially if he can help earn the 2019-20 Warriors a top-two seed come playoff time.

The reigning NBA MVP can do it all. Giannis averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 blocks per game last season. At 6-feet-11, the "Greek Freak" controls the offense like a guard but with the strength of a post player. He still needs work on his outside shot and touch away from the basket, but aside from that it's hard to imagine somebody snatching the 2019-20 MVP Award from him.