I’d be more inclined to consider Aaron Gordon in the MIP race if he had more 20-point games this season. His scoring is way up, which is great, but a lot of the improvement comes from the two 40-burgers he’s had already this season. He’s scored in double figures every game he’s appeared in, but only a third of them are 20-burgers. More consistency, please!
That said, he’s likely still the frontrunner for MIP anyway. I can think of some other names, but do those other names have multiple 40-burgers? No. They don’t. Unless you’re thinking of Khris Middleton, which you really shouldn’t be. Gordon’s three-point shooting is probably happening at an unsustainable rate, since he’s shooting them at about the same percentage he shot free-throws in college, but if he can keep it around 40% that will catch a lot of voters’ eyes. A hyper-athletic stretchy big who is finally coming into his own? NBA award voters love that kind of stuff.