National Analyst Makes The Case For How Trae Young Can Win the NBA MVP This Season

Could Young be a darkhorse for the NBA MVP this season?

Feb 14, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) handles the ball against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA season is still a ways away, but it is never a bad time to start looking ahead to how things might play out during the 2024-2025 campaign. The offseason is at its quiet point and it is unlikely at this point that any big moves are made with two months to go until the season.

When taking a look at the probable MVP candidates for the upcoming season, you are likely going to read about a lot of familiar names. Can Nikola Jokic win his fourth MVP trophy? Can Luka Doncic finally win an MVP? What about players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jalen Brunson? All of those guys are expected to be in the mix, but could there be a longshot candidate? Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz wrote about some longshot candidates for the upcoming season and mentioned Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young as one possibility:

"The three-time All-Star averaged 28.4 points per game and made the All-NBA third team the year before the Hawks acquired Murray. There's no reason to believe that Young won't be among the league's leading scorers once again.

Young and Murray were the only two Hawks who averaged at least 17 points per game last season. The team got younger by swapping out Murray for a trade package featuring Dyson Daniels and selected 19-year-old Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick.

For Atlanta to have a chance to win most nights, more offensive pressure will fall on Young both as a scorer and as a creator. Granted, team success could hurt his MVP chances.

Following a 36-win season, the Hawks don't exactly look better on paper after trading their second-best player for Daniels, Larry Nance Jr. and draft picks. Risacher isn't going to make the typical impact of a No. 1 pick, and there's a lot of unproven talent on the roster overall. If Young has this team playing .500 basketball, that's a big accomplishment.

Only three players in NBA history have averaged at least 30 points and 10 assists per game: Russell Westbrook, Tiny Archibald and Oscar Robertson. If Young becomes the fourth this season, that could push him into the MVP mix."

I wrote about why Young would be an interesting longshot bet to win MVP recently and the case is pretty simple. Whatever your opinions of him, Young is an incredible offensive player, one of the best playmakers and shot-creators in the league, and capable of putting massive numbers. If Young averaged 30 PPG and over 10 APG while shooting efficiently, guided the Hawks to a top-four or five record in the Eastern Conference, and not be a complete liability on defense, then he could have a case. It went undercovered last season, but Young did make some improvements in terms of forcing turnovers, whether it be a steal or taking a charge. He will never be a positive player on that end, but he can be better than his reputation would have you believe.

Young is going to have the ball in his hands a lot more with Dejounte Murray gone and that is going to give him more of a chance to put up huge numbers and possibly win games. I don't think Young will be a legitimate MVP contender, but it is not the craziest idea either.