Why Cade Cunningham MVP Could Be Smart Bet Amid SGA Injury Concerns

To combat star players sitting out, the NBA instituted a 65-game minimum for postseason award eligibility. With the influx of injuries to star players we’re seeing each year, this rule opens the door to other players winning awards in years they might not deserve them.

This season, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is starting to create some distance between himself and the other candidates. SGA is currently a -220 favorite with Nikola Jokic the only other player close by at +300.

Jokic is having an MVP-caliber season, generating career highs in both rebounds and assists. Unfortunately, after missing over a month with a knee injury, he can only miss one game and still be eligible for MVP. However, Jokic has been a bit of an ironman, playing fewer than 70 games only once prior in his career.

He only has a one-game buffer to stay eligible for MVP, but before the All-Star break, Gilgeous-Alexander went down with an abdominal strain. He’s going to be reevaluated after the break, so I’m assuming he won’t be out for too long, but abdominal issues can be tricky.

The Thunder can be on cruise control the rest of the season and still easily lock up a top-two seed in the West, so if this injury lingers, SGA could push the games missed limit as well. He’s already missed six games this year, so now might be a great time to bet on someone who’s a long shot to win the MVP.

Detroits Cade Cunningham has arrived on the scene this year as an All-NBA first team favorite. The Pistons have been the story of the season, shocking the league with the best winning percentage in the NBA at the All-Star break.

Cade does have an All-Star teammate in Jalen Duren, but this isn’t an incredibly deep Pistons roster. His ability to elevate everyone around him and turn this team into an NBA Finals contender is the most impressive thing happening in the league. He currently has the third-highest MVP odds with Luka Doncic, Jaylen Brown, and Victor Wembanyama trailing closely behind.

Wemby and Doncic are close to the limit for missed games, and they could also be in similar situations as the favorites, real soon. Jaylen Brown or even Donovan Mitchell are two other guys to keep in mind as long shots, especially if they can figure out how to chase down the Pistons before the season ends.

Nevertheless, if Cade, Mitchell, and Brown stay healthy, the narrative surrounding the Pistons far outweighs anything from the Celtics and definitely the Cavs. The counting stats might not be the most impressive for Cunningham, but I’m not sure any player is more vital to his team's success than he is, and isn’t that exactly what an MVP should be?

SGA might miss minimal time due to his injury; however, if this issue lingers, you can buy Cade MVP stock for pennies on the dollar.