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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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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 06: Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Paul George #13 of the Indiana Pacers during a preseason game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 6, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 115-108. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – OCTOBER 06: Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls drives against Paul George #13 of the Indiana Pacers during a preseason game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 6, 2016 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Pacers defeated the Bulls 115-108. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Jimmy Butler – Chicago Bulls

Ever since the departure of Michael Jordan, it seems like the Chicago Bulls have been searching for a suitable replacement. I don’t mean in terms of Jordan’s greatness since that’s virtually impossible to match. What I mean is a player that can be a true game changer at the shooting guard position. Ben Gordon had his moments for the Bulls, but it still wasn’t significant enough. This is no longer the case with Jimmy Butler in town and he may become the Bulls’ first MVP since Derrick Rose in 2011.

Over the past two seasons, Butler has been the unquestioned leader of the Bulls and his numbers help to support that claim. Since 2014, Jimmy Buckets has averaged 20.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game. This led to him being named an All-Star twice and selected for the All-Defensive team in both years. What’s scary is that Butler is just entering his prime and we may see more improvements from him. His assist and scoring numbers might take a slight hit with the additions of Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, but Jimmy should still flourish. He should actually get a few more open looks now that there are two All-Star caliber players around him to keep defenses honest.

Last year was the first time in seven years that the Bulls didn’t make the playoffs. Some of the blame can be placed on their slow adaptation to Fred Hoiberg’s up-tempo system which was a stark difference from Tom Thibodeau’s slower, grind-it-out system. One can also blame the lack of star power on the team. However, it won’t be the case this year and the Bulls are primed to make a return to the postseason. They can realistically win between 50 and 55 games this year.

If Chicago returns to the playoffs as a top-six seed and Butler increases his scoring into the 25 points per game area, he could be considered an MVP candidate. The presence of Wade and Rondo, especially as support players, will only help his case. It may be a long shot to happen, but it wouldn’t be the craziest thing in the world if Jimmy played his way into top-five MVP candidacy.

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