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This year's NBA MVP race would be an epic affair if not for the infinite pre-eminence being displayed by a certain superstar who shall temporarily remain nameless.

But while the chase for the Maurice Podoloff Trophy appears lopsided, it doesn't always feel that way. Other contenders have played insanely well enough for us to host bar-stool debates and entertain the idea that someone out there has the clout necessary to turn the 2016 MVP ladder into something other than a protracted formality.

Basketball-Reference's MVP probability tracker will be our guiding light throughout this journey. We are interested only in players who, as of now, have at least a 1 percent chance of snaring the Association's foremost individual distinction.

These MVP cases will be rooted in reality and rely heavily on personal statistics, team performances and the circumstances under which these successes are borne.

Does anyone have a case strong enough to rival our unidentified mutant?