If there’s one thing everyone can agree on about the fallout from Kevin Durant’s decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors, it’s that Russell Westbrook is about to have a monster season. The primal rage that seems to fuel his game will be stoked by KD’s supposed betrayal and the doubts everyone has that the Thunder can remain competitive among the top teams in the Western Conference. In that way, it’s not surprising that Westbrook is the betting favorite for the 2016-17 NBA MVP award, according to Bovada.
Westbrook’s odds come in at +200, followed closely behind by Steph Curry at +400 and LeBron James at +500, though we’d have to say that if Russ doesn’t win, voters will have a hard time voting for a Steph three-peat now that Durant is by his side. The combination of the added talent and voters’ reluctance to keep voting for the same player means that LeBron has an excellent shot to win his fifth MVP.
Looking farther down the list, Anthony Davis has the fifth-best odds at the title, which makes some sense — after all, he’s the clear best player on a team that has talent but underachieved last year. If they make a leap, Davis’ name will be on everyone’s lips once again like it was two years ago. Tied with him at +1600 is Kawhi Leonard, who will have a real shot at the award if the Spurs don’t miss a beat after Tim Duncan retired. He’s already won two Defensive Player of the Year awards, so if his offense continues to progress, he will be in the argument for the best player in the NBA.
(Via Bovada)
