When was the last year that the MVP race was this wide open? To me there's six guys who could win at this point and I wouldn't have a legit gripe about it.
Joel Embiid is averaging 30 points and 11.5 rebounds for a team that's been at the top of their conference all season. Unfortunately he suffered a hyperextended knee a couple weeks ago, but until that point this was the first season he hasn't really been doing the load management thing.
James Harden has kept the Nets atop the East despite Durant's injury, almost averaging a triple-double since joining the team and leading the league in assists. I can see him losing goodwill with some of the voters following the Blake/Aldridge signings, though, which isn't really fair.
I don't think Giannis should be fully counted out, but again a lot of the media voting is narrative-based, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him get stiffed simply because they don't want him to get three in a row.
LeBron is always gonna be in the mix, but he is probably gonna lose a lot of support depending on how long this injury keeps him out. But seeing the Lakers without him pretty much speaks for itself.
Nikola Jokic might be the front-runner right now, just based on the astronomical numbers. 27/11/8.5, and close to 50/40/90, as a center! Unfortunately the Nuggets' record isn't quite up with those other teams.
Damian Lillard probably has the least help around him of any of the players named, and deserves consideration for keeping him team solidly in the playoff picture in a historically competitive conference. Only five players (Oscar (x6), Tiny Archibald, Jordan, Westbrook, Harden) have averaged 30 points and 8 assists in a season. Lillard is currently at 29.8/7.8