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5 DARK horse NBA MVP candidates (I MEAN DARK)

By Roje Smith

SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 09: DeMarcus Cousins
SACRAMENTO, CA - MARCH 09: DeMarcus Cousins /
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BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 17: Jeremy Lin #7 of the Brooklyn Nets defends Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of the preseason game at TD Garden on October 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 17: Jeremy Lin #7 of the Brooklyn Nets defends Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics during the first quarter of the preseason game at TD Garden on October 17, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

4. Isaiah Thomas – Boston Celtics

It seems like Isaiah Thomas has been a dark horse for most of his playing career. Despite having a very successful college career for the Washington Huskies, including being a two-time All-Pac-10 player and an honorable mention All-American, he was still the last player chosen in the 2011 NBA Draft. Perhaps it’s his less than ideal height of 5-9 that turned certain teams away from him. Whatever it was, it’s clear that Thomas was somewhat of an afterthought in regards to that draft.

After spending a few seasons with the Sacramento Kings and part of one with the Phoenix Suns, Isaiah ended up with the Boston Celtics and his career took off last season. Not only did Thomas average a career high of 22.2 points per game, but he was also selected for the 2016 All-Star game.

The selection made him the shortest player in history selected as an All-Star, along with Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy. Thomas’ stellar play helped lead the Celtics to the playoffs as the fifth seed and he established himself as the clear leader of the team.

With the addition of Al Horford to the Boston roster, the Celtics are expected to take the next step in their championship aspirations. They have a good chance of winning over 50 games this year and Thomas will be manning the helm of that ship. If he improves on his numbers again and leads Boston to a top-three seed in the playoffs, then he could force his way into MVP discussions.

It would be very fitting for a constantly overlooked player such as Thomas to emerge as an MVP candidate. He is the true definition of what a dark horse is.

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