Kia Race to the MVP primer: Who are the ones to watch in 2020-21?

From fresh faces to past winners of the award, these 20 players could be in the MVP mix for 2020-21.

Trae Young is an up-and-coming player who could make a serious Kia MVP push in 2020-21.

The Las Vegas oddsmakers made their call for Luka Doncic weeks ago. The NBA’s general managers did the same for Giannis Antetokounmpo earlier this month in the NBA.com GM Survey. It’s hard to argue against their logic when discussing the early favorites for the 2020-21 Kia MVP Award.

Doncic built his buzz with a spectacular 2019-20 season that culminated with a historic, next-level effort in the playoffs that shocked the NBA ecosystem. Antetokounmpo rides into this season on the strength of back-to-back Kia MVPs, leading the best regular-season team in the league both times.

But given the recent (and unpredictable) history of the MVP chase, this in no two-man race. In fact, the field appears to be as deep as it’s been in years. There are established candidates, newcomers, long-shots and even a dark horse or two in the mix this season.

This award has changed hands between just seven players since the 2008-09 season — LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Antetokounmpo. That’s a 12-season run dominated by James (4), Curry (2) and Antetokounmpo (2).

We’re toe-deep into this 72-game season, but there’s a real opportunity for a fresh face to break into what is arguably the NBA’s most elite club (the Finals MVP is the only other individual honor that matches it).

Sure, six of the seven active Kia MVP winners (everyone but Rose, who is a Kia Sixth Man Award candidate in Detroit) could easily factor into this season’s chase. And, most likely, they’ll do exactly that at some point during the next three months.

The chances of someone other than those usual suspects playing their way into the conversation seems just as likely to happen.

In advance of next week’s first Kia Race to the MVP Ladder of 2020-21, here is a closer look at 20 names who will factor into the conversation.

Fresh faces and first timers

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks: The Mavericks’ superstar is a walking triple-double and will have every chance to prove the oddsmakers right with another monster season leading an upstart Mavericks team to a top seed in the Western Conference.

Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers: Fresh off of his first championship, AD will contend for MVP and Kia Defensive Player of the Year — following up the double-win by Antetokounmpo last season — as he ascends to the top of his game.

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers: Showing out against the Lakers (21 point-second half) Monday night was a great reminder of just how quickly Lillard can take over games. The Trail Blazers have to win big to make sure he stays in the mix.

Kyrie Irving, Brooklyn Nets: He’s looked great so far and will draft off another superstar (Durant) as the Nets stake their claim to the top spot in the Eastern Conference. As long as he stays healthy and the Nets keep rolling, he’s locked in.

Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks: The Hawks’ 3-0 start is the ideal way for Young to launch his campaign. If the Hawks make the playoff leap their offseason suggests, Young will go from All-Star starter in his second season to legitimate MVP candidate in his third.

Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets: He’s been in the mix the past two seasons, but if he leads the league in assists and keeps the Nuggets in striking distance for No. 1 in the West, this could be his year.

Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers: The undefeated Pacers are feeding off of the dominant play of their All-Star big man, who is making up for the time he lost in the restart due to injury. Sabonis has been a two-way behemoth thus far.

Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers: If the arrival of coach Doc Rivers has the impact many expect, Embiid could be the greatest beneficiary. Injuries, inconsistency and spotty conditioning have cost Embiid in the past.

Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics: Tatum already has an early-season signature moment (the banked in game-winner over Antetokounmpo) to build off of. The stage is set for Tatum and Jaylen Brown to power the Celtics to top of the East, if they can handle the weight.

The past winners

LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers: A day away from his 36th birthday and he’s still at the top of his game 18 seasons into his career. As much as he’d appreciate another Kia MVP, a Finals MVP means much more for his legacy.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks: There hasn’t been a back-to-back-to-back MVP since Larry Bird (1984-86). Antetokounmpo has a fighting chance to join the extremely short list of legends (Bull Russell from 1961-63 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-68) to accomplish that feat.

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors: The Warriors don’t even look like a playoff team right now, which could snuff out the fire for Curry’s campaign before we get into the meat of the season. But if anyone can shoot their way back into the debate, it’s Curry.

James Harden, Houston Rockets: Even with all of the drama surrounding Harden to start this season, he’s still a viable MVP candidate, wherever he plays. When you can light it up as quickly and outlandishly as Harden does, there’s always a spot for you in the debate.

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets: Durant won’t preoccupy himself with trying to do anything other than get back to being the best version of himself after an 18-month absence after Achilles surgery. For anyone with memory issues, don’t forget: he was a back-to-back Finals MVP.

Long-shot candidates

Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns: Paul, or his teammate Devin Booker, could enter the MVP conversation if the Suns end up as one of the top Western Conference teams by March.

Kawhi Leonard, LA Clippers: His penchant for load management notwithstanding, Leonard is consistently at an MVP level. Those stitches in his mouth will obviously slow him up a bit here at the start of the season, but he should not be counted out just yet.

Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz: The appreciation for Mitchell’s game and impact on the Jazz grows each season. When will that lead to a more substantial boost to his MVP candidacy? Tough call in a league filled with superstar guards.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans: Yeah, we’re probably a season away from him moving into a more prominent position in this conversation. But it’s wise to keep Williamson in mind, especially if the Pelicans are as good as they’ve looked — albeit in a very limited sample size.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies: Morant made an emphatic entrance into his second season, only to suffer a nasty ankle sprain Monday night. How quickly he plays his way back into the discussion depends on the severity of that injury.

Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat: An All-Star and All-NBA talent, Adebayo is also a candidate for Kia Defensive Player of the Year. The Heat are at their best when things run through their young big man on both ends of the floor … just ask Jimmy Butler.

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Sekou Smith is a veteran NBA reporter and NBA TV analyst. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Turner Broadcasting.

The Atlanta Hawks are off to a strong 3-0 start to the season, thanks mostly to having the league’s best offense through the first week of the regular season.

Atlanta spent their offseason spending considerably to upgrade its roster, splurging on Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Rajon Rondo, as it made clear its intentions not just to take a leap into being a playoff contender, but also to prove to Trae Young that the organization is committed to getting him the help he’s craved. Through three games, the Hawks are averaging 123.7 points per 100 possessions, the most in the league by a full four points over the Lakers, and are second to L.A. in effective field goal percentage as a team at 59.1 percent, per Cleaning the Glass.

Young is the driving force behind this offensive explosion, as he has been fully unleashed by the newfound spacing of the Hawks offense. The third-year star is averaging 34 points and 7.3 assists per game on mind-numbing efficiency, hitting 53 percent of his shots (42.1 percent from three). Most staggering is the way he’s getting to the free throw line. Young has steadily emerged as one of the NBA’s great grifters in the same vein as James Harden and the man he’s forever tied to in his draft class, Luka Doncic. A year ago, Young got to the line 9.3 times per game, with a free throw rate of .443, while Harden’s free throw rate was .528.

Through three games this season, Young has taken the art of drawing fouls to a completely new level, one that would even make the Beard blush, as his free throw rate is an astronomical .939. He’s gone to the line 46 times while taking just 49 field goal attempts so far this season. Once at the stripe, he’s hit 42 of those 46 attempts, good for 91 percent, and has controlled every game he’s been in with his ability to change speed, embrace contact, and manipulate his way to the charity stripe.

Take this play on Monday night against the Pistons for instance and tell me it doesn’t remind you of Harden. Young rejects the screen and slithers his way past his man, sweeping his arms across his body as he recognizes the reach is on its way from the help side so he can gather, get the contact, and put up the runner off the glass for an and-1.

He’s not just learned the dark arts of finding and finishing through contact in the paint, but is finding his way to the line from the perimeter as well. Watch as he toys with Jonas Valanciunas, creating just enough space to get off a shot but also keeping the big man close enough that he goes for the aggressive closeout where Young can catch some contact down low with the subtle kickout and get himself an and-1 opportunity.

What separates the greats in the art of getting to the foul line is being able to do so in a natural way that doesn’t impede your ability to score when the fouls aren’t there, and that’s something you can see in Young. Even when he doesn’t draw the contact, you can see how it’s just become a natural part of his game when he drives. Look at the way he sweeps the arms through quickly from left to right on this floater, knowing the reach is coming from behind on his right, and even though he doesn’t get the contact, he just goes about his business and knocks down the floater.

That’s the mark of the elite grifters, the ones who transform buckets into and-1s, and missed calls (or efforts to draw contact that come up empty) into buckets. Young came into the league tabbed as the next Stephen Curry because of his smaller stature and ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor, but “short Harden” is maybe a more apt comparison for the way his offensive game has developed, which is honestly a rather incredible development.

When Young was coming into the league, one of the questions he faced was how he’d do as a finisher. In college, he wasn’t the best at the rim, didn’t seem to always embrace contact, and doesn’t have the elite athleticism to blow by defenders to create significant space to get off easy layups. Fast forward to the start of his third season and he not only accepts contact but actively seeks it out, and has developed one of the best in-between games in the league. He can get a step on a defender and, if the opportunity presents itself, he’ll just stride to the rim, but more often than not he uses an off-rhythm cadence to frustrate defenses.

He loves stopping just shy of the restricted area to pop off a floater over a closing big man and changes speed and tempo like the very best to get a defender on his hip and then create contact to get himself to the line for either a pair of free throws or an and-1 opportunity. Young has become a fan favorite for his quick trigger on three pointers and willingness to fire from anywhere on the court, but as the Hawks grow in stature and become featured on national TV more, I expect him to become one of the NBA’s great villains.

Young has the demeanor and mannerisms for it, flexing after and-1s and giving his shivering taunt after a big made three, and the game to back it all up. He is as gifted a scorer as there is in the game and has embraced the benefits that grifting your way to free points provide so shamelessly that when people begin watching more of him than the highlights, he’s destined to become a polarizing, Harden-esque figure.

This is far from a bad thing, as it should only be a compliment to be considered on that stature of offensive player, but it’s something Hawks fans (and Young) should be prepared for as the team gets better and gains more attention on a national scale. It isn’t a 1-to-1 comparison, if for no other reason than Young is a much smaller player than Harden, but the mannerisms and the way they go about creating and drawing contact so naturally within their shooting motion is uncanny. For Hawks fans, it’s something to embrace and enjoy, because it will make your team incredibly competitive, because even on nights where shots aren’t falling, when your star can march himself to the free throw line for cheap points, it can help you steal games you might otherwise lose.

For everyone else, it’s going to become an annoyance, as Young preens after his third and-1 basket of the game, offering that knowing smirk that he can, and will, do this all day.

The Atlanta Hawks are off to a strong 3-0 start to the season, thanks mostly to having the league’s best offense through the first week of the regular season.

Atlanta spent their offseason spending considerably to upgrade its roster, splurging on Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Rajon Rondo, as it made clear its intentions not just to take a leap into being a playoff contender, but also to prove to Trae Young that the organization is committed to getting him the help he’s craved. Through three games, the Hawks are averaging 123.7 points per 100 possessions, the most in the league by a full four points over the Lakers, and are second to L.A. in effective field goal percentage as a team at 59.1 percent, per Cleaning the Glass.

Young is the driving force behind this offensive explosion, as he has been fully unleashed by the newfound spacing of the Hawks offense. The third-year star is averaging 34 points and 7.3 assists per game on mind-numbing efficiency, hitting 53 percent of his shots (42.1 percent from three). Most staggering is the way he’s getting to the free throw line. Young has steadily emerged as one of the NBA’s great grifters in the same vein as James Harden and the man he’s forever tied to in his draft class, Luka Doncic. A year ago, Young got to the line 9.3 times per game, with a free throw rate of .443, while Harden’s free throw rate was .528.

Through three games this season, Young has taken the art of drawing fouls to a completely new level, one that would even make the Beard blush, as his free throw rate is an astronomical .939. He’s gone to the line 46 times while taking just 49 field goal attempts so far this season. Once at the stripe, he’s hit 42 of those 46 attempts, good for 91 percent, and has controlled every game he’s been in with his ability to change speed, embrace contact, and manipulate his way to the charity stripe.

Take this play on Monday night against the Pistons for instance and tell me it doesn’t remind you of Harden. Young rejects the screen and slithers his way past his man, sweeping his arms across his body as he recognizes the reach is on its way from the help side so he can gather, get the contact, and put up the runner off the glass for an and-1.

He’s not just learned the dark arts of finding and finishing through contact in the paint, but is finding his way to the line from the perimeter as well. Watch as he toys with Jonas Valanciunas, creating just enough space to get off a shot but also keeping the big man close enough that he goes for the aggressive closeout where Young can catch some contact down low with the subtle kickout and get himself an and-1 opportunity.

What separates the greats in the art of getting to the foul line is being able to do so in a natural way that doesn’t impede your ability to score when the fouls aren’t there, and that’s something you can see in Young. Even when he doesn’t draw the contact, you can see how it’s just become a natural part of his game when he drives. Look at the way he sweeps the arms through quickly from left to right on this floater, knowing the reach is coming from behind on his right, and even though he doesn’t get the contact, he just goes about his business and knocks down the floater.

That’s the mark of the elite grifters, the ones who transform buckets into and-1s, and missed calls (or efforts to draw contact that come up empty) into buckets. Young came into the league tabbed as the next Stephen Curry because of his smaller stature and ability to shoot from anywhere on the floor, but “short Harden” is maybe a more apt comparison for the way his offensive game has developed, which is honestly a rather incredible development.

When Young was coming into the league, one of the questions he faced was how he’d do as a finisher. In college, he wasn’t the best at the rim, didn’t seem to always embrace contact, and doesn’t have the elite athleticism to blow by defenders to create significant space to get off easy layups. Fast forward to the start of his third season and he not only accepts contact but actively seeks it out, and has developed one of the best in-between games in the league. He can get a step on a defender and, if the opportunity presents itself, he’ll just stride to the rim, but more often than not he uses an off-rhythm cadence to frustrate defenses.

He loves stopping just shy of the restricted area to pop off a floater over a closing big man and changes speed and tempo like the very best to get a defender on his hip and then create contact to get himself to the line for either a pair of free throws or an and-1 opportunity. Young has become a fan favorite for his quick trigger on three pointers and willingness to fire from anywhere on the court, but as the Hawks grow in stature and become featured on national TV more, I expect him to become one of the NBA’s great villains.

Young has the demeanor and mannerisms for it, flexing after and-1s and giving his shivering taunt after a big made three, and the game to back it all up. He is as gifted a scorer as there is in the game and has embraced the benefits that grifting your way to free points provide so shamelessly that when people begin watching more of him than the highlights, he’s destined to become a polarizing, Harden-esque figure.

This is far from a bad thing, as it should only be a compliment to be considered on that stature of offensive player, but it’s something Hawks fans (and Young) should be prepared for as the team gets better and gains more attention on a national scale. It isn’t a 1-to-1 comparison, if for no other reason than Young is a much smaller player than Harden, but the mannerisms and the way they go about creating and drawing contact so naturally within their shooting motion is uncanny. For Hawks fans, it’s something to embrace and enjoy, because it will make your team incredibly competitive, because even on nights where shots aren’t falling, when your star can march himself to the free throw line for cheap points, it can help you steal games you might otherwise lose.

For everyone else, it’s going to become an annoyance, as Young preens after his third and-1 basket of the game, offering that knowing smirk that he can, and will, do this all day.