Luann Martins
Connector Contributor
This NBA season has been shocking on all fronts, to say the least. Different teams are starting to finally contend, new teams are on the come up after the trade deadline, and now, for the first time in what seems like a while, we have completely different kinds of MVP candidates than years past. The two leading the charge this year are Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham.
The Celtics are having one of their more challenging years as a team. The best player on the team, Jayson Tatum, is still recovering from an Achilles tear he suffered in last year’s playoffs. Brown, now given the task of being the leader of the team in a season where the absence of the best player weighs heavily, has been able to lead this team surprisingly to a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference. Brown is averaging 29.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists while also getting 1 steal per game. He’s averaging career highs across the board. He’s leading a team that was supposed to miss the playoffs into making the playoffs and a chance to wreak some havoc in the Eastern Conference in the playoffs.
The Pistons have been building a team for years now. A team that has rebuilt for more than a decade finally found its superstar piece to build a contending team. Cade Cunningham, the number one pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has now taken the league by storm. Averaging 25.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals a game. Cunningham has been really showing up for his team in close games, especially in a game recently against the New York Knicks, where it seemed like he got his way all night.
The Pistons are also currently the first seed in the Eastern Conference, which gives Cunningham a boost in this race as well. Cunningham has continued to be the superstar leader that this franchise has needed for more than a decade, and now it seems like he might finally be the guy to lead them to the promised land. They’ll have to face a tough Eastern Conference, probably having to face teams like the Knicks, who, on paper, have one of the deepest teams in the entire NBA alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This race has been a different but also great one for the NBA. These two guards have been putting the league on notice with their play and have continued to lead their teams, and it’ll be interesting to see how they’ll perform in the playoffs. The playoffs this year are shaping up to be some of the greatest we might see in recent history, following up on last year’s incredible playoffs. The Celtics and the Pistons are about to really prove themselves as teams leading the charge in the Eastern Conference for the playoffs. These two guards in the race for MVP are about to show the world that they have what it takes to lead their team to the NBA Finals and contend for a chance at a championship as bona fide leaders.
