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The 2023-24 EuroLeague season is underway, and it seems like the level of the competition is at an all-time high. Many teams have increased their budgets to be able to land world-class talent, and it will be very interesting to see which players will stand out from the crowd. Last season, Aleksandar Vezenkov won the EuroLeague MVP title, and since the Bulgarian forward joined the Sacramento Kings, we will have a new best player in the competition.
EuroLeague MVP candidates
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Winning the MVP is the most prestigious individual award a player can have on his resume. It demands consistently playing on the highest level and leading the team far in the competition. There are plenty of candidates to win the award and here is our Top 10 list.
1. Nikola Mirotic
Mirotic left Barcelona not on good terms after four years with the Catalans. He ended up signing with Armani Milano which is a great situation for him. Mirotic will be the main man in the Italian team and will probably be the leading scorer in the competition. If he manages to lead the team to the Final Four, Mirotic will most likely win the MVP award.
2. Mike James
James is the player who made Monaco a contender after they were near the bottom of the EuroLeague. The American led the team to their first Final Four appearance ever, and he is ready to do that again. He is an outstanding scorer who can hit a shot from everywhere and what makes him a star, is the fact that he is confident in clutch time.
3. Facundo Campazzo
After a three-year tenure in the NBA and last year’s stint in Crvena Zvezda, Facundo Campazzo is back home in Madrid. The Argentinian point guard won two EuroLeague titles in his first stint with the team and hopes that he will help this team to win another one. He will be the starting point guard for the defending champions and that is job not everyone can handle well as he can.
4. Willy Hernangomez
Hernangomez spent the last five seasons in the NBA and decided it is time to come back to Europe. The Spaniard won the EuroBasket MVP award last year leading his team to the gold medal. Everyone expected of him to go back to Real Madrid, the team where he started his career, but he chose Barcelona instead.
5. Shane Larkin
Larkin has been in the MVP conversation in the pervious seasons, and this may be the year for him. Anadolu Efes made huge changes this season, having a new head coach. After Vasilije Micic left Istanbul, now Larkin will be the one to take over the ball. He is an excellent shooter and is much stronger than the point guards in Europe making him a nightmare matchup for everybody.
6. Shabazz Napier
Napier is another player with a decent NBA career behind him. Crvena Zvezda signed the point guard who spent the last season with Armani Milano and he will be the top scorer for the Serbian team. Head coach Dusko Ivkovic will have multiple options for Napier to be productive and he is ready to shine on the European stage.
7. Juancho Hernangomez
Juancho Hernangomez did not get a chance in the NBA to prove his talent, but since he is back in the EuroLeague with Panathinaikos, the Spaniard will be unleashed. He is in the prime of his career and is one of the most versatile players in the league. Junacho will probably become the best player for Panathinaikos and with the team from Athens being one of the favourites this season, he may win the MVP.
8. Kevin Punter
Punter is the third highest paid player in the EuroLeague for a reason. He averaged 16.1 points per game for Partizan last season and decided to stay in Belgrade for another shot for the Final Four. The American will be the first scoring option for head coach Zeljko Obradovic and that may be the way that would lead him to the MVP award.
9. Lorenzo Brown
Brown is going into his fifth EuroLeague season, and this is the first time for him to go into his second consecutive with the same team. The American point guard led Maccabi Tel Aviv last year with 16.3 points per game. He is a perfect fit for the playing style the Israeli team has had for decades, and if they manage to get to the Final Four, Brown would be one of the candidates to win the MVP award.
10. Nikola Milutinov
Nikola Milutinov spent the last three seasons with CSKA Moscow and did not play in the EuroLeague in the 2022-23 season. Now he is back in Olympiacos, a team where he played from 2015-2020. The Serbian center led the league in rebounds in 2020 and 2021 and recently was named to the All-FIBA World Cup Second Team. He is undoubtedly one of the best centers in the competition, and if he stays healthy, he will go higher on this list as the season progresses.
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