The NBA season is getting ready to start on Tuesday night and the first marquee game on the schedule will be the Miami Heat hosting the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Arena and that means two players with the potential to win the MVP award will go head to head for the first time this season.
The Bulls come in after winning 45 games last season without Rose and heading into the season many feel that he can win MVP again. The predictions all have LeBron James as the MVP again, and while I agree he will probably win it, let's make a bold prediction here that James will not win the award and it will instead be either Derrick Rose or Carmelo Anthony who hoists up the most valuable player award for the 2013-14 season.
This isn't to say that those two players are better or worse than LeBron James, but more that expectations will continue to soar for James and if he doesn't have as dominating of a season (but probably would be MVP worthy for anyone else) voters may decide to go with someone else, and this time it could be Anthony or Rose. Both players have the potential to lead their teams on deep playoff runs and Anthony comes into the season having won a scoring title last year. The success of their teams obviously will play a big part and depending on how the Bulls and Knicks finish may help decide who wins.
Dwight Howard is a wild card option, as the Rockets could win the west and he could have an MVP season, but as a betting man, my money is on Anthony or Rose this time around. Rose has looked explosive since coming back from his surgery and while Anthony has plenty to live up to, this could be the time that the Knicks get things together to make a playoff run.
The Bulls won over 40 games without Rose and a playoff series and now he returns after Luol Deng led the team in scoring and Kirk Hinrich led in assists with him out. Chances are he will be tops in those two categories and he comes into the season after he averaged 21 points and eight assists in his last full year and that came after his 25.0 average season the year before. Sure, LeBron will probably win, but Rose and Anthony have as good a shot as anyone.