The Young MVP is Gone, Likely For Good
With the NBA's offensive inflation, don't expect a Wemb-VP award this season
Shorter piece today — more analytically-based as well. Comments on the KAT/Knicks trade coming this week. Enjoy!
Earlier this week, one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history called it quits, hanging up his jersey and leaving behind a legacy that likely cannot be replicated. Of course, I’m talking about Derrick Rose, who famously became the league’s youngest-ever MVP winner in 2011 at 22 years of age — unfortunately, we also know what happened afterward.
During 2012’s playoff run, Rose tore his ACL, which eventually would relegate him to being simply a really good sixth-man, never quite returning to MVP form despite some flashes of the old Rose. Still, the man’s career should be celebrated for both making history and sheer tenacity — it also has me thinking about what it would take for another youngin’ to take his MVP place.
Of course, the mind goes to Victor Wembanyama, who is currently 20 years old and won’t turn 21 till January of 2025, though there are others such as Paolo Banchero and Alperen Sengun who could turn up the heat on the rest of the league with a shocking season. Despite all three of those players being very good — Wembanyama, of course, being historic — it seems unlikely that we’ll see another young MVP any time soon, if ever.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to JSuttHoops to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.