National Basketball Association
Steve Kerr isn't picking one of his own players to win MVP
National Basketball Association

Steve Kerr isn't picking one of his own players to win MVP

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:53 p.m. ET

Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are two of the preseason favorites to win the MVP award in 2017, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr has a surprising prediction about the MVP race.

Kerr was asked his preseason pick for MVP, and he predicted that reigning two-time MVP Stephen Curry and Warriors newcomer Kevin Durant would end up stealing votes from each other, allowing a third party to emerge victorious. His choice? Portland's Damian Lillard.

Lillard is a two-time All-Star - though he missed out on the team last season - and in 2016 he brought the Trail Blazers to the Western Conference semifinals in a season where many had guessed they'd struggle to make the playoffs.

It's a bold pick, for sure. From 2014-15 to ’15-16, Lillard improved his production by 4.1 points and .6 assists per game with arguably less talent around him, but he’d likely need to make a huge jump to match Curry’s numbers, or to compete with Russell Westbrook - who is set for a monster year without Kevin Durant around. The Trail Blazers' standing in the West is likely more important to Lillard's candidacy than stats, though, and if they fail to overachieve again it's hard to see how he could win MVP.

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Winning NBA MVP isn't all about the stats, of course, and in the past it's been a narrative-driven award (see: Derrick Rose). Curry will have to be phenomenal to win a third-straight MVP, especially after his unanimous win became a punchline in the Finals. Durant has to share shots with Curry and Klay Thompson. LeBron James is LeBron James, but he also plays in a weak conference and will be saving himself for the playoffs. The MVP race is wide open.

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