NBA 6-Pack: Broussard talks MVP race, trade deadline and Cade Cunningham
The story of this NBA season has officially become game-changing injuries.
With that, the MVP race – and the NBA title – is more "to be determined" than ever before.
Let's see what FOX Sports NBA Analyst Chris Broussard had to say about how the season will shape up moving forward, in the midst of a never-before-seen level of unpredictability.
1. Have you ever seen an MVP race and league standings so up in the air due to superstar injuries? Could Giannis Antetokounmpo win MVP again with all the injuries and Milwaukee surging?
Broussard: Not that I recall. This is indeed a strange year for the MVP award. The two guys who were atop the leaderboard, Joel Embiid and LeBron James, are each going to miss more games than any MVP since media began voting on the award in 1981. That will likely take them out of the running. The team with the best record in the league (Utah) doesn’t have a legitimate MVP candidate, and most of the other candidates – Nikola Jokic, Damian Lillard, Luka Doncic and Steph Curry – are playing on teams that, by typical MVP standards, aren’t winning enough. Oh, and James Harden has the stain of having forced his way out of Houston by all but dogging it for five games.
All that opens things up for a potential Giannis three-peat or a stunning MVP grab by Chris Paul. Thankfully, there are lots of games left to figure this thing out.
2. Considering how Brooklyn is playing without Kevin Durant, and with Blake Griffin now on the floor, do you have the Nets as the favorites to win it all?
Broussard: Yes – a thousand times yes. The Nets are looking every bit as good in reality as they look on paper. They’ve won 15 of their past 17 games. They've beaten every top contender and pretender in the league. They’re ranked a respectable 16th in the league defensively over the past month. They’ve got two superstars in KD and Kyrie Irving who’ve hit big shots and played terrifically on the big stage. And they’ve done all of this without their best player, Durant, a best player who, by the way, has the game and demeanor to fit in fairly seamlessly when he returns. Bottom line: Brooklyn is nasty.
There are just two questions about this team: Will KD return near full health? And will Irving be fine and consistent mentally and emotionally? Some continue to call defense a question for this squad, but the Nets don’t have to be great defensively – just adequate. They’ve shown that they’re capable of being that.
3. Which contender most needs to make a trade by the upcoming trade deadline? What does that contender need: scoring, defense or something else?
Broussard: The Clippers. They need a point guard. Kyle Lowry would be great, but they don’t have the assets to get him. Marcus Smart would work, but again, that’s unlikely. The Clippers’ need for a true, able-to-distribute point guard is most glaring at the end of games, when they put the ball in the hands of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. With neither being a true facilitator, the Clippers often degenerate into iso, one-on-one ball, and it hasn’t worked. I don’t think they can get the type of guy they need, though.
4. What are your thoughts on Cade Cunningham? Do you think the projected top pick has a chance to be a superstar in the NBA?
Broussard: Obviously, he didn’t look good in the NCAA Tournament. He shot 9-for-34 as Oklahoma State bowed out in the second round. But that shouldn’t outweigh a great freshmen season by him, and I think that’s how most NBA talent evaluators will look at it. Cunningham is very smart and skilled, especially for a 6-foot-8 player, but he clearly lacks "otherworldly" athleticism. Some have compared him to Luka Doncic in that he can get to where he wants to go and do what he wants to do, despite not being a tremendous athlete. And for the record, he’s a better athlete than Luka. Sure, he has a chance to be a superstar. It’s not a definite, though.
5. In your opinion, what’s the issue in New Orleans? Why are the Pelicans struggling with all that talent? Do they need to move off Lonzo Ball?
Broussard: Youth is the main thing. All of their best players are young. Young players don’t play defense, and hence, New Orleans is ranked 28th in defensive efficiency. Young players are often inconsistent, and New Orleans has beaten Denver, Utah and the Clippers while losing to Minnesota and Chicago – all within the past month. Give the Pelicans time before burying them.
Lonzo is actually starting to play very well. His defense is good, and his shooting, both from the free-throw line and from 3, has improved dramatically, which speaks to his working incredibly hard. No need to jettison him, as far as I’m concerned, unless the Pelicans can get a better player or players in return.
6. With LeBron seemingly on the decline – at least somewhat – who do you think will take the mantle of NBA’s best player? Luka? Giannis? KD? Someone else?
Broussard: Well, it’ll be KD, assuming he comes back from injury at the top of his game. On the other hand, no one is playing better than KD’s teammate, James Harden. If you’re looking for young guns, it’s Giannis, Luka and Embiid. Giannis has to keep working on his jumper, though. He’s got to become a better closer to take the mythical crown of world’s best player.
