4 Dark Horse Candidates for NBA Finals MVP

The NBA Finals are finally upon us, with Game 1 is set to tip off Thursday night in Toronto. The two biggest stars in the affair, Steph Curry and Kawhi Leonard, have all the attention on them at the moment, but the supporting players will inevitably matter just as much in this latest race for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. So many have made their careers based on historic Finals performances, and this year is ripe for more-- here are four players who should be considered sneaky underdog candidates to steal the NBA Finals MVP award.

4. Draymond Green

Draymond Green probably has the best chance of actually winning the award out of anybody on this list. His elevated play has been overshadowed by Curry's incredible offensive output, but he has been outstanding this postseason nonetheless. Green has been an all-around monster; in the conference finals against the Trail Blazers, he averaged 16.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 2.3 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game. He can easily steal the show whenever Steph's shooting touch falls flat.

3. Klay Thompson

Steph has always been the more impactful member of the Splash Brothers, but Klay Thompson is no slouch. He has always picked up his play when Steph isn't scorching the court, and is a top-level defender on the other end. Thompson has had his fair share of shooting slumps this season, but nobody catches fire in an instant and drains bucket after bucket without having to dominate the ball quite like he does.

2. DeMarcus Cousins

DeMarcus Cousins' first playoff run was halted after just two games when he hurt his quad against the Clippers. However, Boogie will surprisingly be able to showcase his skills on the big stage now that he is officially cleared for Game 1. The big man has had a up-and-down run after coming back from from a torn Achilles, but has still shown flashes of his All-Star level skills on the offesnive end. With a little extra motivation, Cousins could shock the world and be the X-factor Golden State needs to seal the deal.

1. Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry has always been labeled as a playoff choker and even fed into that narrative with some poor play during the current postseason. However, he now has a legit superstar next to him in Leonard and surely realizes the chance he has to actually win a title as a result. Lowry was productive in the Eastern Conference Finals for Toronto, averaging 19.2 points per game while shooting 46.5% from three. This could be the best chance he'll ever have at a championship, and it could coax out a level of confident domination we haven't yet seen from the veteran.