Predicting the NBA Finals MVP

Who has the edge in the NBA Finals MVP race: LeBron James or Anthony Davis?

It’s no surprise that LeBron James and Anthony Davis are both frontrunners for Finals MVP if the Lakers win the title. What if Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo bring the Heat back after being down 3–1? Who has the edge in the NBA Finals MVP race? The Crossover staff makes their predictions.

Michael Rosenberg — LeBron James and Anthony Davis

Yes, co-MVPs, and no, this is not a cop-out. After two games the answer for me was Davis, but then he had a rare passive offensive game in the Lakers' Game 3 loss. Game 4 showed why they both deserve it. On offense, Davis is the biggest mismatch in the series, but James is the engine that drives the Lakers. James's ability to create for others—through his exceptional floor vision and passing, but also by drawing so much attention himself—turns ordinary players around him into effective scorers. Defensively, the power dynamic shifts: Davis is long, athletic, strong and so active that he leads the suffocation of the defense, but James provides spurts of elite, scheme-wrecking defense. I can only recall one NBA champion that relied so heavily on two players—the Kobe/Shaq Lakers. But even then, Kobe was still ascendant, and Shaq was clearly the more dominant player. There was no doubt that Shaq was the Finals MVP during all three title runs. In this series, any difference between James and Davis is so small as to be irrelevant. Their personalities and tightness drive the team, too. If they finish the Heat, give them the Finals MVP award together.

Jeremy Woo — LeBron James

To me it’s not really that much of a question. He’s been the galvanizing force behind everything the Lakers are doing, he kept pushing when L.A. briefly lost momentum, and truthfully, he is the only real reason the Lakers have been able to win with this particular supporting cast. Anthony Davis is an essential piece here, obviously, but James’s passing and savant-like perception are what’s enabling the other guys. It’s not just about the stats (but the stats look nice). Assuming, of course, that the Lakers close this out tonight, I don’t see how it’s not LeBron.

Melissa Rohlin — LeBron James

That's a tough one. Davis has been spectacular in his first NBA Finals, averaging 25.7 points and 9.2 rebounds. He made a game-defining three-pointer against the Heat in Game 4 with 39.5 seconds left to put the Lakers up by nine points. And in Games 1 and 2 of the series, he was nearly flawless. Both Davis and James have played incredible defense against Jimmy Butler in spurts. But James, 35, has averaged 27.7 points, 11 rebounds and 8.5 assists. He took over Game 4 midway through the fourth quarter with the teams knotted at 83-83, scoring seven straight points and then assisting on the next two baskets, finishing with 11 points in 12 minutes. James, who is in his 10th NBA Finals, deserves the award. He's led the team both on and off the court. After their Game 3 loss, he texted his teammates before Game 4 telling them it was a "must-win" situation, something that deeply resonated with them considering it's something he rarely does. James has kept everyone even keeled and focused, while playing some of the best basketball of his career in his 17th season.

Elizabeth Swinton — Anthony Davis

Whether it has been lockdown defense, key rebounds or clutch three-pointers, Anthony Davis has lived up to the moment of his first NBA Finals. LeBron James impacts each game in invaluable ways, and a fourth ring will be monumental, but Davis has risen as a star, difference-maker and go-to threat throughout the playoffs. If he continues to deliver on both ends of the floor in Game 5, Davis will be plenty worthy of the Finals MVP trophy.

Michael Shapiro — LeBron James

Anthony Davis absolutely destroyed the rim in Game 1 and Game 2, but this still feels like LeBron’s award to lose ahead of the potential clincher on Friday. James is the lead initiator of Los Angeles’ offense, and he took over the game in the fourth quarter on Tuesday night. James is nearing triple doubles with ease. He’s posting an efficient mark from the field. Davis’s time will come, but in 2020, the Finals MVP still belongs to the best player of his generation.

Ben Pickman — LeBron James

Entering Game 5, how can it be anyone other than James? After four Finals games, he leads the Lakers in points, rebounds and assists per game this season and has played the most minutes of any Laker. While Davis led LA in playoff PER heading into his team’s matchup vs. the Heat, he looked hesitant in Game 3, struggling with foul trouble and taking merely nine shots. While the Kentucky product rebounded nicely in Game 4, finishing the contest with 22 points and nine rebounds in the victory, it was James who was more central in holding off a constant Heat push. If the Lakers take home the title on Friday evening, the three-time Finals MVP will become a four-time Finals MVP, deservedly so.

Shandel Richardson — LeBron James

LeBron James will win his fourth Finals MVP because he is the reason the Los Angeles Lakers will win the championship. Sure, Anthony Davis is a key cog, but James is doing what he always does when he teams with other superstars: make them look like secondary players. He did it in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and in Cleveland alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

Robin Lundberg — LeBron James

I have been impressed with Anthony Davis this entire playoff run. He is a monster who we all knew was a top player but has still managed to elevate his status. However, LeBron James is the NBA Finals MVP. Not only does James lead the Lakers in points, rebounds and assists for the series, but he also has scored or assisted on nearly half of L.A.'s points. He is somehow still the best player in the world and controls the game in a way no one else can, manipulating the floor like a chess board. LeBron will complete this season with not just another ring but a Finals MVP trophy as well.