EuroLeague MVP award race: five cases for the trophy / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Imago-Scanpix, Rodolfo Molina, Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Imago-Scanpix, Rodolfo Molina, Panagiotis Moschandreou/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

The EuroLeague regular season is coming to an end, and we will have the last round this week. With the playoff picture getting clearer, it looks like a good time to look at the MVP award run.

Shane Larkin

Team:Anadolu Efes IstanbulPosition:PGAge:29Height:182 cmWeight:80 kgBirth place:United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

We will look at some of the major profiles of players who'll most likely become the main candidates for the biggest individual award of the EuroLeague season.

Although everyone on this topic has his own personal view, the players that we will analyze in the article are definitely among the best performers of this season.

So who are the main candidates for the MVP award? And why?

Nikola Mirotic (FC Barcelona)

The Montenegrin-Spanish forward is probably the most likely candidate to win the MVP award. Mirotic is the best player on what has been the best team of the regular season in the EuroLeague, which is going to be a big selling point for his MVP case.

The forward averaged 16.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from 3-point. He had 9 games with 20 or more points, and in December, in El Clasico against Real Madrid, he tied his career-high in the competition with 31 points.

During the regular season, Mirotic had only three games in which he didn't score in double-figure.

Offensively speaking, he has been an absolute nightmare for the opponents. But even on the defensive end, Mirotic has definitely given a huge contribution to Barcelona's success.

All his advanced numbers defensively are really good: the forward has a 59.0% stop percentage, which is among the best in the competition, a 21.0% defensive rebound percentage, and a 1.3 marginal defense indicator, once again among the best in the competition.

If you're looking for the most natural candidate for the MVP award, you shouldn't look beyond Mirotic because he has all the tools to get that trophy, and rightfully so.

Shane Larkin (Anadolu Efes Istanbul)

Shane Larkin

MIN:30.94PTS:14.42 (56.42%)REB:3.06As:5.35ST:1.35BL:0.03TO:2.52GM:31ProfileEuroLeague2021/2022

Despite a season full of ups and downs, Anadolu Efes, the EuroLeague reigning champions, will play in the playoffs and present themselves once again as one of the main contenders for the title.

If Efes are once again in this position, a lot has to do with the performances of Shane Larkin. The American guard, who will become a free agent at the end of the season and most likely one of the most coveted players on the EuroLeague market, is averaging 14.4 points, 5.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 41% from downtown.

Impressive numbers for sure, but that doesn't emphasize enough Larkin's importance for the Turkish side. When Efes needed to be saved during the season, often the hero of the situation was Larkin.

Third in the performance index rating ranking, with an average of 18.4, behind only Nikola Mirotic and Walter Tavares, Larkin recently had his season-high performance against ALBA Berlin, finishing with 28 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds with 54% from 3-point, in the game that sealed Anadolu Efes' playoff spot.

Although his fellow backcourt buddy Vasilije Micic, who won the MVP award last season, averaged more points per game, Larkin's overall impact on Anadolu Efes' performance has probably been more significant this season.

Once again, it will be crucial in the upcoming playoffs, in which Efes will be a really tough opponent for every team even without holding the home-court advantage.

Walter Tavares (Real Madrid)

This hasn't been the easiest season conceivable for Real Madrid. Their recent EuroLeague form went down the hills, winning only 2 of the last 9 games.

The team often struggled to find their groove offensively, but despite all the issues and the troubles, they ended up once again as one of the top four teams in the competition. Of course, one of the main reasons for their success is Walter Tavares.

The Cape Verdean big man has confirmed himself as one of the top players of the EuroLeague this season.

The second-best in the performance index rating, ranking right behind Nikola Mirotic, Tavares averages 11.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.0 steal, and 1.7 blocks per game. The former Atlanta Hawks big man has a net rating of 37! (you read that correctly, 37!) and all his defensive numbers are absolutely impressive.

A stop percentage of 74.2%, a defensive rebound percentage of 22.5%, and a block percentage of 4.2%.

Tavares will probably not get the MVP awards, mostly because the focus has never been too much on more defensive-minded players. Still, he remains one of the elite players of the competition and an absolute force around the rim.

Sasha Vezenkov (Olympiacos Piraeus)

Since joining Olympiacos in 2018, Bulgarian forward Sasha Vezenkov has constantly improved his game. This season, he has become arguably the most important player on the Greek side, even more than Kostas Sloukas.

Vezenkov is having a superb season, averaging 13.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 38% from 3-point.

He's also the fourth-best player in the index performance rating ranking with an average of 17.8 and has an offensive rating of 134.3 (among the best in the competition).

With his ability to be a double threat, both on the perimeter and close to the basket, the forward has become a key part of coach Bartzokas' system, and he's probably having the best season of his career so far.

Giving the MVP award to him would also be a huge recognition to Olympiacos and their impressive season. Vezenkov is the face of a hard-working team that makes life extremely difficult for every opponent with their intense defense and smart ball movement on the offensive end.

It would also mean acknowledging the steady progress that Vezenkov has made over the past few years. A dark horse candidate but definitely a worthy one.

Mike James (PG, Monaco Basket)

The Mike James case for the MVP award is probably the most interesting one. Before clashing with coach Itoudis at CSKA Moscow, James was the top scorer of the past EuroLeague season.

After a quick stint in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets, he parted ways with CSKA Moscow and joined Monaco during the offseason. After some misunderstandings with coach Zvezdan Mitrovic, who then parted ways with the French club, James started to shine more and more under coach Obradovic.

He led Monaco to an unexpected playoff run, making the team one of the best offensive forces in the competition.

The American guard has often been labeled as a troublemaker, but his time in Monaco has been a really positive one so far.

His leadership inside the team has been undeniable. James is averaging 16.5 points, 6.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. He's the third-best scorer in the competition, only behind Vasilije Micic and Nikola Mirotic.

Furthermore, he's the third in assists per game and has the fifth-best performance index rating with an average of 17.7.

This season he also had his new career-high in assists in a single game (14 against Zalgiris Kaunas). Former EuroLeague player Keith Langford stated that, in his opinion, Mike James is the MVP of the season.

Although James believes that Mirotic is more deserving of that award, there's no debate that for Monaco would have been much more difficult, if not almost impossible, to reach the playoffs without the presence and the performances of Mike James.

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