LeBron James favored to win fifth NBA Finals MVP

Reigning NBA Finals MVP LeBron James is favored to collect an historic fifth Most Valuable Player award in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, according to odds at TwinSpires Sports.

Another trophy would put LeBron one shy of Michael Jordan’s record six NBA Finals MVPs. It would also make James the most recent player to win consecutive MVP trophies since Kevin Durant, who boasts the second-best odds to claim this year’s honor.    

The Los Angeles Lakers, who won last year's NBA Playoffs inside the Orlando bubble, own the seventh seed in the West, but are the second choice (+300), behind the Brooklyn Nets, to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Injuries to both James and Anthony Davis were a chief factor in the Lakers' downturn during the regular season. With the seventh-best record in the Western Conference, the team had to defeat the Golden State Warriors in the league's play-in tournament to earn a spot in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

If the Lakers can reclaim their magic and defend last year's title, they would become the lowest seed to win a championship. Currently, the 1995 Houston Rockets hold that distinction, as they won the title as a No. 6 seed.

Davis makes case as most valuable Laker

James has been brilliant in his age-36 season, averaging 25.0 points, 7.8 assists, and 7.7 rebounds.

If the Lakers go on another tear this year, it's difficult to imagine the Finals MVP voting panel selecting someone other than King James.  

It's worth noting that since 2012, just four players have taken home the NBA Finals MVP: James (four times), Kawhi Leonard (twice), Durant (twice), and Andre Iguodala (once).

That said, Anthony Davis (+1800) is capable of bucking the trend and swiping the award for himself this postseason.

In Los Angeles' win over Golden State in the play-in tournament, Davis led his team in scoring (25 points) and rebounding (12).

He was again the team's leading scorer, with 34 points in each of the past two victories over the Phoenix Suns (the Lakers hold a 2-1 lead in the series currently). Davis also accounted for 21 rebounds, seven assists, and four blocked shots over that two-game span.

Finals MVP longshots in the West

The second-seeded Suns, featuring Devin Booker (+9000) and Chris Paul (+15000) seem to be losing momentum against the Lakers, but the top-seeded Utah Jazz, who achieved the league's best record, pose a danger to Los Angeles.

Donovan Mitchell (+1000) would make most sense as MVP if the Jazz win the title. He just returned from an ankle injury to play in his first game action since April 16, and put up 25 points, while going 5-of-10 from the three-point line in Utah's 141-129 win over Memphis.

One concern, though, is that Mitchell seemed to tweak his injured ankle in the fourth quarter of the Grizzlies matchup. If his health is less than 100 percent, Utah's chances of unseating the Lakers in the West are significantly diminished.

Projected league MVP Nikola Jokic (+2500) is another player to keep an eye on, as his Denver Nuggets could send Los Angeles packing in a potential Western Conference Semifinals series.

Luka Doncic (+1600) and the Dallas Mavericks are up 2-0 on Kawhi Leonard (+2200) and Paul George's (+7000) Los Angeles Clippers, but odds say the Lakers and Jazz are the two most likely candidates in the West to reach the NBA Finals.

Harden, Embiid offer value in the East

In the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets and the Big 3 of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden have generated a ton of buzz all season, despite the trio playing in just eight regular-season games together.

The Nets are the +180 favorite to win the 2021 NBA Championship, but knowing what to expect from the full-strength Nets is a bit challenging.

So far in the postseason, Durant has been the key cog. He racked up 58 points, 20 rebounds, six assists, and five blocks across the Nets' two victories against the No. 7 seed Boston Celtics.

Harden (+800) has been an essential component to this offense, as well. In his first two games of the playoffs, he added 41 points, 14 rebounds, 15 assists, and five steals. He's a dark horse to snag MVP, and has arguably been the most valuable piece in the Nets' superteam assembly.

The Philadelphia 76ers, who topped the East in the regular season, drew an easier path to the Eastern Conference Finals, with the New York Knicks or Atlanta Hawks looming in the next round.

Joel Embiid (+750 odds) is a finalist for league MVP and tallied 52 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists in the first two games of the Sixers' series with Washington.

The Nets will likely face the No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+500) in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, which is sure to be a slugfest. Brooklyn may come into a matchup with Philly battered, but they still possess the talent and upside to not only beat the Sixers, but win the franchise's first title. 

While Durant may seem the obvious NBA Finals MVP choice in this scenario, it's time for a switch-up in the league. Harden has been the difference-maker for the new-look Nets all season and will prove himself the most valuable asset to this super squad in the NBA Finals.